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To-do list before your employee starts
Now that you’ve found your new employee and they’ve signed on, you need to make sure you’re set up and ready for them to start.
A few simple steps will smooth their transition and get them working for you quicker.
Everyone you employ needs a written employment agreement.
You must do it by law, and it’s a great foundation for an employment relationship. Our new Employment Agreement Builder (external link) will help guide you through the steps to create a proper agreement.
Complete all the pre-start paperwork
By the time your new employee is ready to start work, you must have given them an employment agreement. Include a timeframe for them to confirm their acceptance. You can do this in a letter formally offering them the job and send it with the employment agreement. There are different requirements if your workplace has a collective agreement.
Employment agreements (external link) — Employment New Zealand
You must also have:
- received back a signed employment agreement
- checked they’re entitled to work in New Zealand, eg with the VisaView tool
- registered as an employer with Inland Revenue, if it’s your first time employing someone.
VisaView: Check if someone can work in NZ (external link) — Immigration New Zealand
How to register as an employer (external link) — Inland Revenue
You should also:
- let your other staff know they’re starting
- set aside some time to introduce them
- prepare an induction process, covering all the things they need to know
- schedule any training they’ll need, eg how to assess risk at work.
