New starter compliance pack

Get the onboarding checklist for one new employee: which information statements to give and when, tax file number declaration, super choice and stapled fund, contract, pay slips and records, with the dates worked out.

Figures checked 5 November 2026. Free to use, no sign-in.

New starter

Counting regular casuals and employees of associated entities.

Does an enterprise agreement cover the role?

New starter compliance pack

Statements required
1
Super choice form by
Enter the start date
Unfair dismissal period ends
Enter the start date

Check before you use it

  • Check the award or agreement for its own onboarding rules: minimum engagement, part-time hours in writing, probation or consultation terms.
  • Get the statements from the Fair Work Ombudsman on the day you give them, so you always give the current version.
  • Record the date and method you gave each statement and form.

New starter pack: [Employee name]

Position[Position]
Employment typeFull-time (ongoing)
Start date[start date]
Employer sizeFewer than 15 employees

Information statements

  • ☐ Fair Work Information Statement: before they start, or as soon as practicable after (s 125). Download the current version from the Fair Work Ombudsman on the day you give it.

Tax and super

  • ☐ Tax file number declaration: ask them to complete it before or on their first day. If you don’t report through Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 software, lodge it with the ATO within 14 days of it being signed. If they don’t give you one within 14 days of starting, complete one with their details and send it to the ATO. Without a TFN (and after 28 days if they have applied for one), withhold at the top rate.
  • ☐ Superannuation standard choice form: give it within 28 days of the start date, by [start date + 28 days]. Keep the completed form for 5 years.
  • ☐ If they don’t choose a fund, request their stapled super fund from the ATO before paying into your default fund.
  • ☐ First super contribution: it must reach their fund within 20 business days after their first payday; after that, within 7 business days of each payday.

Contract, pay and records

  • ☐ Written contract or letter of offer naming the award and classification, the hours, the pay rate and the employment type.
  • ☐ Bank details, emergency contact and their address and date of birth for payroll.
  • ☐ Pay slips within 1 working day of each pay day.
  • ☐ Time and wages records from day one, kept for 7 years (s 535).
  • ☐ A safety induction for their work and workplace, including how to report hazards and incidents.

Minimum employment period for unfair dismissal: 12 months, completed at the end of [enter the start date] if service is continuous. A probation period in the contract doesn’t change this, and the National Employment Standards apply in full during probation.

Highlighted text in [brackets] still needs your input. General information, not legal advice.

How this works

Enter the start date, employment type and business size. The pack works out:

  • The information statements this hire needs (s 125, s 125B and s 333K), with every Casual Employment Information Statement date for casuals.
  • The super choice form deadline (28 days) and the first Payday Super deadline (20 business days).
  • The tax file number declaration steps from the ATO.
  • When the minimum employment period for unfair dismissal ends (s 383).

Setting up as an employer for the first time? Start with the first employee checklist. For the contract, use the full-time or casual contract template. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Legal basis

Checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Tell us.

Questions

Which information statements does a new employee need?

Every new employee gets the Fair Work Information Statement. Casuals also get the Casual Employment Information Statement, and anyone on a fixed-term contract gets the Fixed Term Contract Information Statement when the contract is entered into (s 125, s 125B and s 333K of the Fair Work Act).

When do casuals get the Casual Employment Information Statement again?

Employers with 15 or more employees give it at the start, after 6 months, after 12 months and after every further 12 months. Small business employers give it at the start and after 12 months (s 125B).

When is the super choice form due?

Within 28 days of the employee’s start date. If they don’t choose a fund, request their stapled super fund from the ATO before using your default fund. Keep the completed form for 5 years.

What if the new employee doesn’t give me a tax file number declaration?

If they haven’t given you one within 14 days of starting, the ATO asks you to complete one with the details you have and send it in. If they have no TFN and haven’t applied for one, or 28 days pass after they applied, withhold at the top rate.

Does probation stop an unfair dismissal claim?

No. The minimum employment period in the Fair Work Act is 6 months, or 12 months for a small business employer, whatever the contract’s probation clause says. The National Employment Standards apply in full during probation.

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Questions the calculator can’t answer?

Workfloor answers pay, award, leave and termination questions for your team, with the Fair Work Act section or award clause behind each answer.

See plans