TL;DR: An employee onboarding checklist lists every task that turns an accepted offer into a productive team member. In Australia it starts with legal paperwork: the Fair Work Information Statement, a TFN declaration, and a super choice form. It then covers preparing for day one, a safety induction on the first day, and regular check-ins through the first 90 days.
Key takeaways
- Every new employee must receive the Fair Work Information Statement before, or as soon as possible after, they start.
- A super choice form is due within 28 days of the start date, and a paper TFN declaration goes to the ATO within 14 days of signing.
- According to Gallup, only 12% of people say their company does a good job of onboarding.
- A safety induction is a legal duty, so it belongs in the checklist rather than in a welcome pack.
- Splitting tasks by owner (HR, the manager, IT, payroll, and the new hire) stops things falling between teams.
What is in this onboarding checklist template?
The template groups onboarding tasks by stage and by owner, so one person sees at a glance what is done and what is outstanding. It covers the employment contract, the statutory paperwork, systems and equipment, the first-day plan, and the first 90 days. Download it, adapt it to your own roles and sites, and assign each line to an owner.
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How to use the template
Copy the template once per role family, rather than once for every new hire. A warehouse role and a head office role share the legal paperwork but differ on equipment, licences, and induction. Then give every line an owner and a due date before the offer goes out.
What is an employee onboarding checklist?
An employee onboarding checklist is a list of every task needed to bring a new hire into an organisation, from signed contract to settled team member. It records what happens, who owns it, and when it is due. Its job is consistency: every new starter gets the same paperwork, setup, and introduction, whoever is hiring that week.
A checklist differs from an onboarding process map, which shows how stages connect, and from onboarding software, which automates the tasks. Both of those rely on the checklist for their content. For that reason, it is worth getting right on paper first, even if you plan to move it into a system later.
Onboarding also matters more than it looks: according to Gallup, only 12% of people say their company does a good job of onboarding. The same article reports that organisations often lose a third to two thirds of new hires within their first 12 months. The research is from the United States, but the gap it describes is familiar to most HR teams. For a deeper look at what goes on the list, see what goes on a new hire checklist.
What paperwork must Australian employers give a new employee?
Australian employers must give every new employee the Fair Work Information Statement, plus the Casual Employment Information Statement for casuals or the Fixed Term Contract Information Statement for fixed term staff. They must also collect a TFN declaration, offer a choice of super fund, and confirm that anyone who is not a citizen has the right to work.
The timing rules are specific, so list each document, its recipient, and its deadline in the checklist.
| Document | Who gets it | When |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Work Information Statement | Every new employee | Before, or as soon as possible after, they start |
| Casual Employment Information Statement | Casual employees | At the start, then at set points: after 6 and 12 months and every 12 months after that, or after 12 months for a small business employer |
| Fixed Term Contract Information Statement | Employees on a new fixed term contract | When they enter the contract, or as soon as possible after |
| TFN declaration | Every new employee | Paper forms go to the ATO within 14 days of signing. Online commencement forms are completed within 28 days of starting |
| Superannuation standard choice form | Employees eligible to choose a fund | Within 28 days of the start date, unless they have already nominated a fund |
According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, a small business employer for these purposes has fewer than 15 employees. If a new employee does not choose a super fund, the ATO lets you request their stapled super fund once they accept the offer. In addition, from 1 July 2026 super contributions must reach the fund within 7 business days of payday. The ATO extends this to 20 business days for a new employee’s first contribution, which gives payroll time to set them up.
What about visas and the right to work?
Home Affairs states that it is against the law to employ a non-citizen without a valid visa, or to allow work that breaches their visa conditions. So check work rights through the free VEVO service, with the person’s permission, before they start. Record the result and any visa expiry date, because some visas cap hours or how long a person can work for one employer.
What should you do before the new hire’s first day?
Before day one, collect the signed contract and statutory forms, set up payroll and system accounts, order equipment, and brief the manager. Most of the friction new starters notice comes from this stage, before they have met anyone. A missing laptop or login on the first morning tells a new hire more about the organisation than any welcome speech.
A practical pre-start list looks like this:
- Contract and forms. Send the employment contract and the information statements, and collect the TFN declaration, super choice, and bank details.
- Payroll. Create the employee record so the first pay runs correctly, including award classification where it applies.
- Systems. Create email, messaging, and HR system accounts, with access set by role rather than copied from a colleague.
- Equipment. Order the laptop, phone, uniform, keys, or access card in time for day one.
- Licences and checks. Confirm any licence, Working with Children Check, or police check the role requires.
- The manager. Agree the first week’s plan, and name a buddy who is not the new hire’s manager.
- The welcome. Send a note with the start time, location, parking, dress code, and who to ask for.
Pre-boarding works best when the new hire can complete forms on their phone before they arrive. As a result, the first day goes on people and work rather than paperwork. How automated onboarding workflows work covers how teams sequence these tasks against a start date.
What should happen on an employee’s first day?
The first day should cover a workplace health and safety induction, introductions to the team and buddy, working systems and equipment, and a clear plan for the first week. With the paperwork already done, the aim is for the new hire to leave knowing their role, the people around them, and how to work safely.
The safety induction is a legal duty rather than a courtesy. Safe Work Australia’s guidance says a business must give workers the information, training, instruction, and supervision they need to work safely. It also says new workers should be trained before they start work. An induction usually covers hazards and controls, safe work procedures, emergency procedures, first aid, and who holds health and safety roles. Record who completed it, confirm they understood it, and keep the record on file.
Beyond safety, the first day should include:
- A walk through the site or a guided tour of the online tools.
- Acknowledgement of key policies, such as the code of conduct and the bullying and harassment policy.
- A first conversation with the manager about expectations for the probation period.
- Lunch or a coffee with the team and their buddy.
What should the first 90 days include?
The first 90 days should include structured check-ins with the manager, role-specific training, early feedback in both directions, and a probation review before the probation period ends. According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, probation periods often range from three to six months. The check-ins should therefore lead into that review rather than run separately.
A simple rhythm works for most roles: hold a check-in at the end of week one, then at 30, 60, and 90 days. At each one, ask what is going well, what is unclear, and what support is missing. Then record the answers, flag any concerns early, and give the probation review evidence rather than memory.
In addition, according to Gallup, employees are 3.4 times as likely to rate their onboarding as exceptional when their manager takes an active role. So give managers the check-in dates as tasks with due dates, not as suggestions. Where a role needs mandatory training, such as manual handling or privacy awareness, track completion in the same place.
Who is responsible for each onboarding task?
Onboarding tasks are split across HR, the hiring manager, IT, payroll, and the new hire. HR owns the contract, statutory paperwork, and induction, while the manager owns the first-week plan and check-ins. IT sets up accounts and equipment, and payroll sets up pay. The new hire completes their forms on time.
| Owner | Typical tasks |
|---|---|
| HR | Contract, information statements, policy acknowledgements, safety induction records, probation reminders |
| Hiring manager | First-week plan, buddy, introductions, 30, 60 and 90 day check-ins, probation review |
| IT | Email and system accounts, access by role, laptop and phone |
| Payroll | Employee record, award classification, TFN and super details, first pay |
| New hire | TFN declaration, super choice, bank details, emergency contacts, licences and checks |
An owner per line makes a checklist work, because tasks shared between “HR and the manager” are the ones most likely to be missed.
When is a checklist template no longer enough?
A checklist template stops being enough when you hire often, across several sites or roles, or when you cannot see at a glance who has completed which forms. At that point the effort shifts from doing tasks to chasing, reminding, and recording them. Onboarding software assigns the tasks, sends reminders, and keeps the record for you.
For a team hiring a few people a year, a well-kept template is genuinely sufficient. However, at 200 employees or more, a spreadsheet checklist tends to break on version control and follow-up. If you are weighing it up, what onboarding software should do for Australian employers sets out the criteria.
Worknice is one option for Australian organisations of 200 to 5,000 employees that want onboarding paperwork, policy acknowledgements, and starting workflows in one HR system. It integrates with payroll rather than replacing it, so an organisation that wants a single combined HR and payroll product may prefer an all-in-one platform.
Why are we giving it away for free?
Worknice is a software platform that helps you focus your time and energy on people, rather than process. This downloadable template is a pdf or editable document. So while the content is great, it does not come to life with technology features like automations, workflows, auto-updates, electronic sign-offs, integration and more.
Frequently asked questions
What should be on an employee onboarding checklist?
An employee onboarding checklist should include the employment contract, the Fair Work Information Statement and any casual or fixed term statement, a TFN declaration, super choice, bank details, a right to work check, system accounts, equipment, a safety induction, policy acknowledgements, a first-week plan, and check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days.
What documents does a new employee need to fill out in Australia?
A new employee in Australia usually completes a TFN declaration, a superannuation standard choice form, bank details for pay, and emergency contact details. Depending on the role, they may also provide licences, a Working with Children Check, or a police check. Many employers also ask them to acknowledge key workplace policies.
When must an employer give the Fair Work Information Statement?
An employer must give every new employee the Fair Work Information Statement before, or as soon as possible after, they start their new job. Casual employees also receive the Casual Employment Information Statement, and employees on a new fixed term contract receive the Fixed Term Contract Information Statement when they enter the contract.
How long should employee onboarding take?
Employee onboarding usually runs for the first 90 days, although the paperwork should be finished before the first day. Many employers align onboarding with the probation period, which the Fair Work Ombudsman says often ranges from three to six months. Structured check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days keep it on track.
What is the difference between onboarding and induction?
Induction is one part of onboarding. It usually means the first-day introduction to the workplace, especially health and safety procedures, which employers have a legal duty to provide. Onboarding is the wider process, from signed contract through the first months, covering paperwork, setup, training, relationships, and the probation review.
Related reading
- Sample employee onboarding process map
- What is digital onboarding?
- Worknice employee onboarding software
Sources
- Fair Work Ombudsman. “Fair Work Information Statement.” Last updated 7 October 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/information-statements/fair-work-information-statement
- Fair Work Ombudsman. “Casual Employment Information Statement.” Last updated 7 August 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/information-statements/casual-employment-information-statement
- Fair Work Ombudsman. “Fixed Term Contract Information Statement.” Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/information-statements/fixed-term-contract-information-statement
- Fair Work Ombudsman. “Probation.” Last updated 14 August 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.fairwork.gov.au/starting-employment/probation
- Australian Taxation Office. “Hiring a new worker.” Last updated 27 June 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/hiring-and-paying-your-workers/engaging-a-worker/hiring-a-new-worker
- Australian Taxation Office. “Offer employees a choice of super fund.” Last updated 17 September 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/super-for-employers/setting-up-super-for-your-business/offer-employees-a-choice-of-super-fund
- Australian Taxation Office. “Paying super for a new employee or fund.” Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/super-for-employers/paying-super-on-payday/paying-super-for-a-new-employee-or-fund
- Department of Home Affairs. “Information for employers and labour hire intermediaries.” Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/migrant-worker-protections/information-for-employers-and-labour-hire-intermediaries
- Safe Work Australia. “Provide induction and workplace safety training for new workers.” Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/training-and-supporting-your-workers-stay-safe-work/provide-induction-and-workplace-safety-training-new-workers
- Sundaram, Dipak and Patel, Niraj. “Essential Ingredients for an Effective Onboarding Program.” Gallup, 31 January 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/246242/essential-ingredients-effective-onboarding-program.aspx
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