The onboarding process is crucial when it comes to welcoming new employees into your workplace. One step in the onboarding process involves completing the necessary documentation that solidifies new employees as part of the company. There are new employee onboarding documents that are always necessary to gather during the process, and then there are some documents that are often overlooked during onboarding, but can be extremely important to have as well. Here are a few documents that can be a key factor in the onboarding process, but are pretty rare in worksites.
● State Withholding Certificates
Filling out tax paperwork is a given for any onboarding period. Some states require a W-4 withholding form in order to determine how much money should be withheld from new employees’ paychecks for state taxes. Though this form can depend on the state, it can be an important step for the tax paperwork process if required.
● Employee Contract Form
Different from an employee offer letter, the employee contract form is meant to highlight key details and responsibilities for the role the new employee has been hired for. This form can be a great reference to have when it comes to maintaining the mutual understanding of the hired role.
● Organizational Directory
When it comes to new employees, there may be some questions in regard to who reports to who, and the overall organization of the roles within the business. Having an organizational directory to show who new employees would report to in the case of x or z can be something vital that is often overlooked in the onboarding process.
● Employee Consent Agreement
If your company requires explicit employee consent for the use of software or other workplace events, having an employee consent agreement on hand during the onboarding process is crucial.
● Company Calendars
Besides the usual emergency contact information papers, contract forms, and other documentation, providing a company calendar in the onboarding document package can be a great idea. New employees will usually be unaware of certain company events and other deadlines, so providing a company calendar can help them start to learn about upcoming workplace events.
● Time-Off Policy
When it comes to onboarding documents, you want to make sure to highlight and make clear all policies for the workplace, including time off. Clearly indicate the number of days off allowed, how to request days off, and the terms of the policy for your company.
● Benefits Information
Something to always include in onboarding documentation is information on benefits. This can include insurance, retirement plans, and so on. Provide this information during the onboarding process so new employees can learn more about the benefits provided to them in the workplace.
● Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
If you’d like to protect your company’s intellectual assets and other information, providing an NDA for new employees is vital. This is a great legal document that can be used as a reference if needed further down the line.
● Drug Testing Records
Establishing a clean workplace is essential, and this can mean clean in all aspects. Drug testing records can instill confidence in you as an employer when it comes to ensuring workplace safety.
● Risk Management Policy
Amidst the talk of employee benefits and the workplace schedule, it is also important to keep new employees in the know when it comes to your company’s risk management policy. This highlights the details when it comes to workplace accidents, workers’ compensation, and more.
Having the right onboarding documents can ensure your new employees become integrated into the workplace without a bump in the road. The list above should give you an idea of some of the more overlooked documentation that is always a good idea to collect, so you can welcome new employees in the organization and have confidence!