8. New Starters

There is a lot to take into consideration when bringing on a new employee.  There are administration and legal matters, and you also want to make sure that the new recruit settles in quickly and can start to contribute as soon as possible, so they will need some Induction Training and on-boarding.

A summary of key areas to be covered with a New Starter are outlined below:

Administration

Getting the administration right is essential for both practical and legal reasons. This is where a new starter checklist can really help. Areas to consider include: 

• Issue a contract of employment (and get a signed copy back from the employee). Employees need to be issued with their 5 core terms within 5 days of starting and then their contract within 2 months of starting. See the section on Contracts of Employment for more details and for template contracts. 
• Issue the job description so that the individual can review and understand their duties (hopefully they saw this at the recruitment stage as well). 
• Make sure you check that the employee is eligible to work in Ireland, and collect and keep copies of relevant documents on file. This is important to avoid possible penalties and fines.
• Collect information for payroll (and Revenue). This can be done by asking an employee to complete a new starter form and provide other documents listed. 
• Have details of referees and emergency contacts.
• Set up an employee file - please see notes on Employee Files.

References

It is recommended that you take out references and check qualifications, other licences or training an individual needs for their job. 

Probationary Period

It is recommended that employees have an initial probationary period. This allows the organisation to make sure the individual can carry out the job role to the right standards and also operate within the organisation's code of conduct and values. The probationary period also allows the individual to consider if the organisation is right for them.

If satisfactory performance or conduct is not achieved, the organisation can generally give notice and end the employment without liability. Please note, there are exceptions: e.g. if employment were to be ended because of a matter relating to discrimination; a new employee informs you that they are pregnant; or a new employee is dismissed because they have a disability.

Notice periods during the probationary period should generally be 'shorter' so that if things do not work out, employment can be ended quickly and without the need to pay long notice periods.