Building an onboarding plan in Australia
Reviewed by Mellow Editorial Team, HR & payroll content team
Getting onboarding right in Australia means meeting several legal obligations before a new employee's first day, then supporting them through the first weeks so they can actually do the job. Done well, it reduces early turnover and keeps you compliant from day one.
Before the start date
Most of the compliance work happens before the employee sets foot in the office.
Employment contract. Issue a written contract that reflects the correct award or enterprise agreement, the applicable Modern Award classification, and any individual flexibility arrangements. While there is no single law requiring a written contract for all employees, written terms protect both parties and are expected under Fair Work.
Fair Work Information Statement. You are legally required to give every new employee a copy of the Fair Work Information Statement before or on their first day. Casual employees also receive the Casual Employment Information Statement. Download both from the Fair Work Ombudsman website; they are updated periodically.
Tax file number declaration. The employee completes a TFN declaration (or submits their TFN through ATO online services via myGov). If they do not provide a TFN within 28 days, you must withhold tax at the highest marginal rate. Keep a copy of the completed declaration.
Super choice form. Employees are generally entitled to choose their own superannuation fund. Provide a Standard Choice Form within 28 days of their start date. If they do not return it, you pay into their stapled fund (retrieved via the ATO) or your default fund if no stapled fund exists. From 2026, the Superannuation Guarantee rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings.
HECS/HELP repayments. Ask the employee whether they have a study debt. If they do, they complete a Withholding Declaration indicating this. You then withhold additional amounts from each pay run on a banded scale set by the ATO, on top of normal PAYG withholding.
Payroll setup. Add the employee to your payroll system and confirm their pay frequency, bank details, tax scale, and super fund. Single Touch Payroll requires you to report each pay event to the ATO on or before the payment date — there is no end-of-month grace period.
Day one essentials
The first day should cover practical safety and cultural context, not just paperwork.
Walk the employee through their workplace health and safety obligations and your emergency procedures. This is a legal requirement under the Work Health and Safety Act (or state equivalents). Document that the induction occurred.
Confirm access: email, systems, building passes, and any tools specific to their role. A checklist owned by IT or operations prevents the common problem of a new starter sitting idle because access was not provisioned.
Introduce them to their direct team and the people they will work with most. A brief overview of how decisions are made, where to find policies, and who to ask for what saves days of confusion later.
The first 30 days
Compliance does not end after the paperwork. A structured first month reduces the risk that someone resigns before they have had a chance to succeed.
Set clear expectations for the first 30, 60, and 90 days in writing. This does not need to be elaborate — a short document noting key priorities, who they report to on specific tasks, and how performance will be reviewed is enough.
Schedule a check-in at the end of week one and again at the end of the first month. Ask directly whether the role matches what was described, whether they have what they need, and whether anything is unclear. Early feedback loops catch misalignment before it becomes a resignation.
For roles covered by a Modern Award, confirm in writing the applicable award, classification level, and any loaded rates or allowances. Underpayment claims under the Fair Work Act carry significant penalties, and most arise from classification errors made at onboarding, not deliberate wage theft.
Leave entitlements to communicate early
Under the National Employment Standards, full-time employees accrue four weeks of paid annual leave per year. Part-time employees accrue on a pro-rata basis. Shift workers may accrue five weeks. Personal/carer's leave, compassionate leave, and unpaid parental leave also apply from day one of employment (with parental leave having a 12-month service threshold for the paid component in some cases).
Communicate your leave request process clearly. Many disputes start because an employee believed leave was approved when it was not, or did not know how far in advance requests must be submitted.
Probation and record-keeping
Probation periods are a contractual concept, not a statutory one. They do not override unfair dismissal protections after the minimum employment period (six months for most employers, one year for small businesses with fewer than 15 employees). Be clear in the contract about the probation length and what it means in practice.
Keep all onboarding records — signed contracts, TFN declarations, super choice forms, WHS induction records — for at least seven years. The ATO and Fair Work Ombudsman can both request these during an audit.
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