Imagine this;
You turn up for your first day at a new sporting club. None of your teammates know that you’re coming, there’s no training kit available for you, no locker for your personal belongings and the coach is late.
Feel like you’re part of the team?
The answer is probably a resounding “NO!” and you’re thinking: “What have I done??”
It would be the same for a new employee, if they arrive on day #1 to a similar experience.
Get your Compliance right
First step is to make sure you have covered all of the Fair Work compliance matters.
• Fair Work Information Statement (FWIS). EVERY employee must be given one of these when they commence in a role. It doesn’t matter if the role it Full Time, part Time or casual – EVERY employee must be provided with this document.
It can be given in person, in mail, by email, by fax, handed to them physically, by having it on a company intranet and providing the link or my providing the link to the relevant page Fair Work Australia website.
• Casual Employees also receive a Casual Employment Information Statement (CEIS). The CEIS can also be given to them via any of the methods listed for the FWIS.
• Confirmation in writing of the essential elements of their employment.
Ideally this would be in a formal Letter of Engagement or an Employment Contract.
You need to confirm the hours of work, the location, the remuneration (wages or salary), the date employment commences.
There’s more, depending on the role, Modern Award coverage, annualised salary V wages, etc – so get advice if you are not sure. (Use the Contact Us form here and we’ll be pleased to assist.)
“Inductions” are not just for building sites
You’ve probably seen the sign on a building construction site -telling anyone who wishes to enter the site that they need to report to so-and-so and be inducted. That process covers off a range of matters, primarily to do with workplace site safety and conduct.
Employees at any business need a proper Induction. For a micro or small business, think of it as an Introduction To our Business. The best way to make sure that this is done properly is to use an Induction Checklist – and have both parties sign a copy and keep it on record. The process should cover elements that will be common to all businesses but also those specific to your business.
For example – show the new employee where the bathroom/toilets are located – every business should do this, of course. But, if those facilities are located outside of the office and perhaps shared with other businesses, where is the key kept? Or does it have a keypad entry lock and, if so, what is the code?
Quick check for your business. (See if you score 5 out of 5):
- Did the new employee meet their colleagues?
- Were break times properly explained?
- Are they a smoker? If so, where are they allowed/not allowed to go to when they smoke on their breaks?
- Have they been given copies of or access to the business’ Policies and procedures?
- Have you got a record that the induction was done (regardless of what was covered off)?
Development Pathways can provide a bespoke Induction Checklist for your business. Use the Contact Us form for a no-obligation discussion about your business’ needs. We also provide all clients with the FWIS and CEIS at no cost, as a time-saving service.
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