New employee onboarding checklist (Australia, 2026)

A new employee onboarding checklist makes sure nothing legal or practical gets missed between the offer and the end of probation. For Australian employers that means the TFN declaration, super choice, Fair Work information statements, a signed contract, work rights and licence checks, payroll setup and a safety induction, followed by planned training and check-ins.

Below is a staff onboarding checklist split into before day one, day one, the first week and the first 90 days, a table of every document with its deadline, extras for licence-heavy industries, and a plain-text version to copy. For the why behind each step, read our employee onboarding guide.

This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines are current as at October 2026.

Before day one

Aim to have every item here done before the worker arrives. A new starter who is cleared to work on day one can start on day one.

• Send the employment contract (or letter of offer) for signature
• Give the Fair Work Information Statement
• Give the Casual Employment Information Statement (casuals) or Fixed Term Contract Information Statement (fixed term)
• Collect the TFN declaration
• Offer the super choice form, and request a stapled fund if they don't choose
• Collect bank details, address, date of birth and an emergency contact
• Collect photo ID
• Check work rights with Home Affairs for anyone who isn't an Australian citizen (how to run a VEVO check), and record the visa expiry and conditions
• Collect and verify every licence, ticket or screening check the role needs, with expiry dates
• Confirm the award or agreement, classification and pay rate
• Set the worker up in payroll, rostering and timesheets
• Order uniform, PPE, tools, keys or devices
• Send day-one details: start time, address, parking, who to ask for, what to wear and bring

Day one

• Supervisor greets them and introduces the team
• WHS and site induction: hazards, emergency procedures, first aid, incident reporting
• Issue PPE and equipment, and record what was issued
• Walk through and get acknowledgement of key policies (safety, drugs and alcohol, bullying and harassment, vehicles and devices)
• Show them how to sign in, clock on and get paid
• Pair them with a buddy for real work
• Five-minute check-in at the end of the day

First week

• Role-specific training started, with sign-offs recorded
• Any outstanding forms or documents collected
• First pay run checked: correct rate, tax, super fund and payslip issued within one working day
• End-of-week check-in with their supervisor

First 90 days

• 30-day check-in: what's clear, what isn't, what they need
• 60-day check-in and training progress review
• 90-day review and probation decision on the calendar (the unfair dismissal minimum employment period is six months, or 12 months for a small business)
• Reminders set for every licence and visa expiry date
• Casual Employment Information Statement reissue diarised (at 12 months for small business; at 6 and 12 months, then every 12 months, for other employers)

Onboarding documents and forms: who, when and where

Document	Who provides it	Deadline	Where it goes
Employment contract	Employer drafts, worker signs	Before day one	Employee file
Fair Work Information Statement	Employer	Before or as soon as possible after starting	Given to the worker; keep a record you gave it
Casual Employment Information Statement	Employer (casuals)	Before or as soon as possible after starting, then at set intervals	As above
Fixed Term Contract Information Statement	Employer (fixed term)	Before or as soon as practicable after signing	As above
TFN declaration	Worker	Worker has 28 days to provide a TFN; otherwise withhold at the top rate	Payroll. Under STP Phase 2, keep it on file rather than sending it to the ATO
Super choice form or stapled fund	Employer offers, worker completes	Offer within 28 days of starting	Payroll super settings
Bank details	Worker	Before the first pay run	Payroll
Work rights check (VEVO)	Employer checks; worker gives consent and visa details	Before starting work	Employee file, with visa expiry and conditions
Licences, tickets, screening checks	Worker provides; employer verifies	Before starting the licensed work	Employee file, with expiry date
WHS induction record	Employer or supervisor	Before starting work	WHS records
Policy acknowledgements	Worker	Week one	Employee file

Sources: ATO TFN declaration obligations, Fair Work information statements, ATO Payday Super. Keep employee records for seven years.

Payday Super, which started on 1 July 2026, makes the super line matter more than it used to. Contributions must reach the fund within seven business days of payday (20 business days for a new employee's first contribution), so wrong fund details need fixing at onboarding, not at the end of the quarter. See our Payday Super setup guide.

Extra checklist items by industry

Construction

• White Card (general construction induction) sighted and verified
• High risk work licences for forklifts, cranes, scaffolding or dogging
• Trade licences where required
• Site-specific induction and SWMS sign-off

More in onboarding for construction.

Labour hire

• Work rights checked for every worker, with visa expiry recorded
• Tickets matched to each placement
• Client site induction completed
• Your own labour hire licence current in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia or the ACT

More in onboarding for labour hire.

Agriculture

• Visa conditions and expiry checked for seasonal, student and working holiday workers (for example, condition 8105 on student visas)
• Chemical, machinery or quad bike training recorded
• Accommodation and transport arrangements in writing

More in onboarding for agriculture.

Education

• Working with Children Check for the right state, verified online
• Teacher registration where required
• Child protection training completed

More in onboarding for education.

Aged care

• Police certificate (no older than three years) or NDIS worker screening clearance, per the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
• Vaccination records where your service requires them
• Manual handling, infection control and Code of Conduct training

More in onboarding for aged care.

Copyable employee onboarding checklist template

Paste this into a document, spreadsheet or task app and adjust it per role.

NEW EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING CHECKLIST
Name:                Role:                Start date:

BEFORE DAY ONE
[ ] Contract sent and signed
[ ] Fair Work Information Statement given
[ ] Casual / Fixed Term statement given (if applicable)
[ ] TFN declaration completed
[ ] Super choice offered / stapled fund requested
[ ] Bank details, address, DOB, emergency contact
[ ] Photo ID collected
[ ] Work rights checked (VEVO) - visa expiry: ________
[ ] Licences / screening checks verified - expiry: ________
[ ] Award, classification and pay rate confirmed
[ ] Set up in payroll, rostering, timesheets
[ ] Uniform, PPE, tools, devices ordered
[ ] Day-one details sent

DAY ONE
[ ] Welcome and team introductions
[ ] WHS / site induction completed and recorded
[ ] PPE and equipment issued
[ ] Key policies acknowledged
[ ] Sign-in, clock-on and pay explained
[ ] Buddy assigned
[ ] End-of-day check-in

FIRST WEEK
[ ] Role training started
[ ] Outstanding documents collected
[ ] First pay checked (rate, tax, super, payslip)
[ ] End-of-week check-in

FIRST 90 DAYS
[ ] 30-day check-in
[ ] 60-day check-in
[ ] 90-day review / probation date set
[ ] Expiry reminders set (licences, visa)
[ ] Casual statement reissue diarised (if casual)

How Canyou runs this checklist for you

A checklist only works if someone follows it every time. Canyou turns it into an onboarding workflow per role, so each worker gets exactly the steps that apply to them.

• Send one link by SMS, email or QR code. The worker completes the TFN declaration, super choice, bank details, ID, contract e-signature and policy acknowledgements on their phone, with no app or password.
• Work rights are checked with the Department of Home Affairs from inside Canyou, and the result stays on the worker's record.
• Licences and certificates are collected by role, with reminders before anything expires.
• Supervisors can complete induction forms in the same workflow, and everything syncs to Xero, MYOB, Deputy or Cloud Payroll in one click.

It takes around 15 minutes per worker, down from 6–10 hours. Try for free or Book a demo.