Onboarding Paperwork Checklist: 10 Key Documents Every Employer Needs for New Hires

Onboarding paperwork supports compliance, payroll accuracy, and smooth integration for new hires with important legal, tax, and organizational documents. This checklist outlines 10 vital records employers should provide to support efficiency, clarity, and a positive start for every employee.

By Brad Nakase, Attorney

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. What is the significance of onboarding paperwork?

3. The Importance of Onboarding Documentation

4. The Top 10 Essential Records for Your Onboarding Checklist

5. Additional Potential Onboarding Records

Introduction

Going through an array of onboarding paperwork that is longer than a phone book is a chore that no one enjoys. Fortunately, technology has made the process much more efficient, but HR professionals must continue to be well-versed in the paperwork that’s required.

Both new hires and HR professionals may find going through the onboarding process to be monotonous. They make you want to yell, “Wake me once the documentation’s done!” and then nod off in a stack of paperwork.

All of us would like the procedure to be simpler, even if we are being a bit dramatic.

There are many Human Resource software options that reduce administrative load and expedite onboarding paperwork handling.

Even when your HR system makes management of paperwork easier, HR personnel still need to be aware of and proficient in using the essential onboarding documentation.

Let’s examine your specific needs now.

What is the significance of onboarding paperwork?

The onboarding paperwork is a set of forms that all new hires need to fill out and sign. These documents aid in a new hire’s legal employment with your organization, and many of them must be filled out before a fresh hire may be paid.

This “paperwork” in today’s digital age may take the form of electronic files rather than actual onboarding paperwork. To control how these documents are sent and completed on a computer and mobile device, many businesses employ HR software.

W-4s, I-9s, and various other paperwork pertaining to an employee’s tax and employment rights are examples of onboarding forms. Other typical forms include job contracts, team communication guidelines, and information on enrolling in benefits.

Making new hires aware of the company’s policies, values, & other aspects is another goal of the onboarding process. Onboarding documentation informs employees about topics like job duties and business culture, but orientation can take care of some of this.

The Importance of Onboarding Documentation

An essential component of orientation for new employees is onboarding paperwork. Onboarding paperwork or documentation offers numerous advantages, even though nobody is really excited about paperwork:

Legal & tax compliance: To confirm employment eligibility and file taxes, state and federal agencies need specific forms. There will be fines and other consequences if this is not done.
Payroll simplification: Many workers anticipate receiving their paychecks via direct deposit on schedule. In order to ensure that workers receive their paychecks on schedule, payment forms and a W-4 streamline employee pay & tax withholding.
Simple benefits enrollment: Explain to new hires the benefits they are eligible for and how to utilize them. HR won’t have to follow up with people to get information because they can enroll right away.
Organization and record-keeping: Documents related to onboarding provide a digital or paper record of each step that a fresh employee has completed. This provides companies with a list of all the necessary employee information and orientation activities.
Train new employees: An employee handbook and onboarding forms aid in educating new hires on risk management, business identity, and company policies. Everyone’s expectations and tone are established by onboarding forms.
Preserve privacy and safeguard data: Non-compete and non-disclosure agreements safeguard your company from the start.

The Top 10 Essential Records for Your Onboarding Checklist

Employee onboarding checklists and papers should be customized by each company to meet its needs, business, legal authority, etc.

Offer Letter for Employment

A formal job offer cannot be made to an applicant unless it is documented in writing. A job offer letter formalizes the situation and encourages professionalism to get the new relationship off to a good start.

A formal employment offer document also provides a potential employee with pertinent information. A lot of these terms make it clear what the new person can anticipate, including their:

Title of job
Description of the role
Date of start
Where (if relevant)
Starting pay
Eligibility for benefits
Manager in charge
Contact details
Deadline for acceptance
Signature

In addition to that, you may include sections for basic conditions of employment or a non-disclosure & confidentiality agreement. These legal facts, nevertheless, can also be saved for additional onboarding paperwork.

Contract of Employment

For the two parties to be legally bound as employer and employee, an employment contract is required. It is a paper outlining the relationship’s terms and circumstances. The contract of employment contains a great deal more information than the job offer, which is essentially an introduction. These elements include:

Job title and duties
Date of start
Duration or contract expiration date
Compensation
Job schedules or anticipated shift patterns
Policies for overtime
Policies and procedures for termination
Intellectual property
Maintaining confidentiality
Non-compete agreement
Procedures and dispute resolution
Terms and conditions regarding employment pertaining to liability
Benefits
Line of signature

I-9 Form

Every employee must have an exact and correctly filled-out I-9 form, which confirms that they are authorized to work in the US. The employee should be honest when filling out the form, but you are in charge of determining whether or not they have permission to work.

An I-9 form must be filled out in two steps: The employee first needs to prove that they are eligible to pursue employment in the United States. Second, they need to submit documents that fit the list of admissible documents provided by the government. A U.S. passport, a driver’s license, a social security card, or a certificate of birth are examples of evidence of eligibility.

A copy of the I-9 must be kept on hand for each employee in case of a federal audit, but you are not required to submit one to a government agency.

Pay close attention to all of the I-9 instructions. Both you and the worker may be subject to significant fines for any mistakes or inconsistencies.

W-4 form

The W-4 tax form (federal) is the next onboarding paperwork used for government-based enrollment. Employees can use this form to self-report the amount of federal income tax that should be deducted from their paychecks. It’s not always your duty to make sure the paperwork is correct, unlike an I-9.

However, by providing guidance throughout the W-4 process, you can assist your employees in avoiding a great deal of pain and aggravation. Additionally, it facilitates the timely payment of the new hire by your payroll team.

Form W-4 can be downloaded straight from the IRS website and included in your onboarding paperwork. Payroll systems make it simple for your staff to adjust withholding election changes when employee circumstances alter.

Form for Direct Deposit

Talking of payroll, the most effective method of paying your staff is to transfer their earnings straight into an account. It is more accessible for remote & hybrid workers, in addition to saving your team a lot of money. Every employee is guaranteed consistent and timely payment through direct deposits.

For setting up direct deposits, you need the new hire’s bank account details and routing information. When paired with a W-4 form, the first paycheck should go without a hitch.

Local and State Tax Records

The most important tax onboarding paperwork for new hires is Form W-4. However, only federal income taxes are covered by that form. Individual income taxes are now levied by 42 states. Your onboarding paperwork checklist must also include a state tax withholding form if your business is located in one of those states, or if your employee does.

Additionally, local income taxes are levied in several American cities, such as New York City and San Francisco. That can be an additional tax withholding form that staff members must fill out.

Form for Emergency Contact Details

Worst-case situations are not something we like to consider in HR. But it is best to be ready for anything. It is the best practice to ask new hires for their emergency contact information right away. Onboarding forms for emergency contacts provide your new hires with peace of mind when they start working at their new company.

Make and utilize an onboarding form that requires the data of two or more people. A complete name, cell phone number, & email address should be included in emergency contact information.

Employee Guide

A new job presents a plethora of information for someone to process. A handbook for employees is a compilation that serves as the basis for the orientation procedure.

Your employee handbook is an all-inclusive business guide. Guidelines for organizational culture and communication may also be included. Although they are not required to read all of it prior to their first day of work, it is a helpful resource for onboarding, along with the remainder of their employment.

The following are some topics to include in the employee handbook:

Mission statements and company values
Work schedules and job descriptions
Code of ethics and expectations for behavior
Practices that do not discriminate
Security and safety
Management of performance
The dress code
Procedures for emergencies
Medical, family, and vacation leave
Resolving conflicts
Resignation and termination

Benefits Booklet

One tactic for drawing in and keeping talent is to provide benefits. Health insurance had been perceived by 57% of American workers as the biggest perk in 2020. The other relevant advantages are life insurance, retirement contributions, telecommuting, and adherence to the Family and Medical Leave Act.

The idea of every employee perk is to improve employee well-being and morale. Consequently, you don’t want to squander your money on a complex benefits enrollment process. Employees can easily learn about all benefits programs and eligibility requirements by reading a benefits brochure.

A chart showing the organizational hierarchy

For recent workers, hierarchy might be perplexing. A top-down, easily readable summary of your company is given by an organizational hierarchy chart.

The C-suite will be at the top, followed by the owner or board of directors. Every employee, even those at the junior level, should be capable of following the chart. The organizational chart shows how your business typically runs and gives a straightforward procedure for who reports to whom.

You can add the names of team members to each level of authority in your corporate hierarchy chart. This will make it clearer to new employees who to ask questions or voice concerns to.

Additional Potential Onboarding Records

There are many other helpful documents for onboarding new staff in addition to the necessities. You might also wish to add these examples.

1. Calendar for the Company

Being able to know what is happening at the organization will lead to a feeling of inclusiveness among new hires. Give them a calendar that comprises holidays, interview hours, meeting hours, and other essential events.

2. Guidelines for Brand Identity

Your brand identity and business image have been meticulously crafted by your leaders. If new personnel are aware of the score right away, it will be simpler to uphold that reputation.

Incorporating a brand identity guideline into your onboarding materials facilitates each employee’s seamless departure from their previous work practices.

The following should be in your brand guidelines document:

Tone and voice of the brand
Use of logos
Typography and fonts
Shapes, color schemes, and symbols
Utilizing pictures and artwork
This onboarding paper helps provide a uniform client experience by outlining expectations.

3. Policy for Risk Management

You can outline the procedures that are implemented to ensure the security of the company in a policy on risk management. This can involve reducing dangers from the inside as well as the outside.

It is one of the onboarding paperwork that makes things transparent for new hires by outlining how to handle lawsuits, workplace accidents, and malicious activity (like embezzlement).

4. Employee Consent Form

If you want to do background checks & drug tests, you must have a worker consent form as part of your onboarding process. To get employee approval and legal safeguards for the company, you require an employee consent form.

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Onboarding Paperwork Checklist: 10 Key Documents Every Employer Needs for New Hires

Introduction

What is the significance of onboarding paperwork?

The Importance of Onboarding Documentation

The Top 10 Essential Records for Your Onboarding Checklist

Additional Potential Onboarding Records

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