On this page6 sections
Day one, week one and the first three months
Looking for HMRC's payroll Starter Checklist? It's on GOV.UK. This page is about induction: helping a new employee settle in and work safely.
HSE says workers are as likely to have an accident in their first six months at work as during the whole of the rest of their working life, so the safety parts of an induction come first.
Acas's induction checklist template splits the tasks into the first day and after the first day, and says the dates will vary between organisations. A simple way to plan it:
Before day one
Start details, equipment, system access and a named buddy
Day one
Welcome, the workplace, emergency procedures and how to report a risk
Week one
The team, the role and its objectives, key policies and how performance is assessed
First month
Job-specific training, and a check on how they're settling in
First three months
Development needs, progress reviews and feedback on the induction
Before the employee starts
Confirm the start arrangements, named manager, work location, equipment and the first-day plan before the employee arrives. Delayed access or unclear ownership can make an induction look incomplete even when the issue is not learning.
Keep payroll, contractual, recruitment and legal checks in the appropriate authorised HR process. This checklist can reference a completed action, but it is not an applicant-tracking system, payroll system or right-to-work verifier.
- Joining information and first-day arrangements
- Named line manager, buddy or induction owner
- Required equipment and system-access requests
- Role, site and team confirmed
- Any appropriate adjustments or support arranged
Explain the organisation and role
Give the new employee a clear view of the organisation, team, role outcomes, responsibilities, reporting lines and how to ask for help. Check understanding rather than relying on a large pack of information being sent.
Add role-specific tasks only when they genuinely apply. A controlled core checklist plus a short role or site addition is easier to maintain than a single checklist containing every possible item.
Assign policies, systems and role learning
Identify the current policies, system workflows and training that apply to the role. Give each item an owner, target date and proportionate evidence or completion test.
SkillProof Learning can create and assign internal learning, while SkillProof Policy Management controls current policy versions and staff actions. The Training Matrix then shows the defined training requirements and record status across the team.
From Growth, your induction checklist can be a SkillProof form or checklist, and new starters are asked to acknowledge the policies that apply to them, with optional days to do it. An acknowledgement isn't a legally defined electronic signature.
Adapt safety and safeguarding to the work
The induction should cover relevant workplace risks, emergency arrangements, reporting routes and safe working information. Safeguarding or other sector-specific content should be included where it applies to the role and service.
Do not rely on a generic checklist as proof that a person is competent. Use appropriate instruction, supervision, questions, observation or assessment for the task and level of risk.
Review the induction and keep follow-up visible
Use first-week and end-of-induction check-ins to confirm what has been completed, what remains blocked and what further support is needed. Record the follow-up rather than closing the checklist because the target date has passed.
SkillProof can keep assigned learning, policy actions, evidence and manager follow-up beside the wider staff record. It does not replace payroll, recruitment, contract generation, electronic signatures or external legal checks.
Official guidance used for this guide
Checked
The checklist was checked against Acas's induction checklist template (updated March 2026) and HSE's guidance for new workers. Adapt it to the workplace, role, risks and any sector-specific requirements.
Questions this guide answers
What should an employee induction checklist include?
Include preparation, the organisation and role, relevant safety or safeguarding, policies, systems, role learning, ownership, target dates, evidence, review and follow-up. Adapt the checklist to the work and risks.
Is this the same as HMRC's new starter checklist?
No. HMRC's Starter Checklist is a payroll form a new employee fills in when they don't have a P45, so their employer can work out the tax code for their first pay. It's on GOV.UK. An induction checklist covers the employee's first days and months at work.
Is this a complete HR onboarding checklist?
No. It is an induction record template. Recruitment, contracts, payroll, right-to-work and other legal or HR processes should remain in the authorised systems and procedures responsible for them.
Does completing the checklist prove competence?
No. Completion shows that the recorded induction steps occurred. Where competence matters, use appropriate evidence, supervision or assessment against the required standard.