New Starter Induction Checklist template

2. Before day one

1. 1Complete the right-to-work check and file the evidence — this must happen before employment starts.
2. 2Issue the contract or written statement of employment particulars so the starter has it on or before day one.
3. 3Collect payroll details, bank details, emergency contacts, and [P45 or starter checklist] information.
4. 4Set up IT accounts, door codes or keys, uniform, and PPE in the starter's size where required: [list for role].
5. 5Confirm start time, where to report, who will meet them, dress code, and what to bring — in writing.
6. 6Book the people the induction needs: a buddy ([name]) and time in the manager's diary for day one.

3. Day one

1. 1Meet the starter on arrival and complete the workplace tour: their work area, toilets, break area, first aid kit and first aiders, fire exits, and the assembly point at [location].
2. 2Cover emergency basics before any work: what the alarm sounds like, evacuation routes, how to report an accident or near miss, and who to tell about hazards.
3. 3Walk through the key documents for their role — [health and safety policy, food safety procedure, cash handling, data protection] — signed as read where required.
4. 4Issue equipment and PPE, demonstrate anything they will use, and confirm they can use it safely before unsupervised use.
5. 5Introduce the team and the buddy, and explain the rota, breaks, sickness reporting, and who their go-to person is.
6. 6End the day with a short check-in: answer questions, confirm hours worked, and book the end-of-week review.

4. First week

1. 1Train the starter on their core tasks against the relevant procedures, one at a time, with a sign-off per task: [task list for role].
2. 2Cover the policies that bite early: absence reporting, phone and social media use at work, [till and refund rules], and confidentiality.
3. 3Have the starter work each shift pattern they will be rostered on at least once with support.
4. 4Hold the end-of-week review: what is landing, what is not, and what training comes next.

5. First month and probation

1. 1Complete the remaining role training and record each sign-off: [modules/procedures].
2. 2Hold a four-week review against the probation criteria in [probation policy/plan]: performance, attendance, conduct, and training progress.
3. 3Set objectives for the rest of probation and diary the next review for [date].
4. 4Ask the starter what was missing from their induction — and feed the answer back into this checklist.

6. Health and safety essentials before unsupervised work

• Fire: the alarm, escape routes, the assembly point, and their role in an evacuation.
• First aid: where the kit is, who the first aiders are, how to summon help.
• Accidents and near misses: how and where to report, and that reporting is expected, not frowned on.
• Hazards of the role — [manual handling, chemicals under COSHH, equipment, lone working] — and the controls that apply.
• Any PPE: what, when, and how to get replacements.
• Extra assessment completed where needed for young workers and anyone with a health condition or disability: [owner].

7. Records and review

The signed checklist, training sign-offs, and policy acknowledgments are filed in [system/location] and retained for [period]. If it is not signed, it did not happen — that is how an inspector, insurer, or tribunal will read it.

This checklist is reviewed [frequency], whenever a policy or procedure it references changes, and whenever a starter's feedback exposes a gap. Owner: [name/role]. Next review due: [date].