A new starter's first day: what they must get

On or before day one: the written statement

Every employee and worker must get a written statement of employment particulars on or before their first day. It isn't the same as a full contract, but it must cover the main terms in one document:

• the employer's and employee's names, the start date and when continuous employment began
• job title or a brief description, and the place of work
• pay, how it's worked out, and when it's paid
• hours and days of work, and whether they can vary
• holiday, including bank holidays and holiday pay
• sick leave and pay, and other paid leave such as maternity leave
• other benefits
• any probation period, with its conditions and length
• notice, from each side
• how long the job is expected to last, if it isn't permanent
• training you require, and any you won't pay for
• work outside the UK for more than a month, if any

Within two months

Some details can follow within two months of the start date: pension, any collective agreements that affect their terms, other training, and the disciplinary and grievance procedures. Many employers give everything on day one, which is simpler.

Pay, pension and privacy

• Payroll: ask for their P45, or a starter checklist if they don't have one, so their tax code is right.
• Payslips: an itemised payslip every pay day, showing hours where pay varies with time worked.
• Pension: assess them for automatic enrolment from their first day, and write to them about it within six weeks.
• Privacy: tell them what you hold about them and why, in an employee privacy notice.

The first day itself

Tell them before they arrive where to go, when, and who to ask for. On the day, cover health and safety, fire procedures and who to tell if they're off sick. Agree their probation objectives in the first week, so the review at the end has something to measure.