Retail Employee Training Checklist

Tour the sales floor, stockroom, receiving dock, breakroom, restrooms, and emergency exits. Point out the fire extinguisher and AED locations, the panic button at the wrap desk, and the muster point in the parking lot. Note where the OSHA 300A summary is posted.

Introduce the store manager, ASM, shift leads, visual merchandiser, and any department leads on shift. Note who holds keys, alarm codes, and safe combination — these are the escalation contacts for the first two weeks.

Record the new hire's contact details, hire date, and assigned employee number. These tie back to scheduling (Homebase, When I Work, etc.) and POS user creation.

Review current planograms for end-caps, four-ways, and the front-window display. Show how to read the schematic and where today's promo signs and talkers belong. Planogram drift is one of the most common reasons advertised SKUs go un-sold.

Cover the top 20 SKUs by units and by margin, current seasonal feature, and any vendor-direct or dropship items the customer can order in-store. Hand the new hire the printed sell sheet for the current promo.

Show how to look up on-hand, on-order, and available-to-sell in Lightspeed / Shopify POS / NCR Counterpoint. Walk through receiving an inbound PO: piece count vs. PO before signing the BOL, never sign 'OK' without counting.

Pick one gondola or four-way and have the new hire scan it against on-hand. Investigate any variance over $25 or 5% rather than blind-adjusting — that's how shrink trends get masked.

Run two scenarios with the shift lead: a browser who needs space and a buyer asking targeted questions. Practice the store's standard greet, an open-ended assist question, and a soft close at the fitting room or wrap desk.

Walk through Yotpo / Smile.io / Fivestars enrollment at the register, current GWP and BOGO offers, and the suggested add-on pairings for the top 10 SKUs. Track UPT and ATV as the leading indicators we're coaching to.

Cover de-escalation language, when to call the manager (refunds over $50, any threat or shouting), and the documented escalation path. Refund fraud and sweethearting hide inside high-conflict moments — the manager-call rule is the control.

Cover slip-and-trip hazards, proper lifting (under 50 lb solo, team-lift above), chemical storage in the back room, and where the SDS binder lives. Show the OSHA 300A summary posted on the breakroom board.

Policy is observe, document, call the manager and police — never pursue past the door. Show how the EAS gates and Sensormatic source-tags work and the deactivator at each register. Pursuing shoplifters into the parking lot has triggered six-figure liability claims industry-wide.

Walk the fire evacuation route, demonstrate the panic button at the wrap desk, and confirm the new hire knows the muster point. Note the date for the training record.

Alcohol, tobacco (21+), lottery, and CBD all carry register prompts and carding rules. If the role rings these, additional state-required training comes next.

Card every customer who looks under 40, enter the DOB at the register prompt every time (no overrides), and record the new hire's completion of the state ABC / FDA tobacco training module. Compliance check fines start at around $1,000 per missed card and put the store's license at risk.

Run sample sales in training mode covering chip-and-PIN, contactless, gift card, store credit, and manual key entry. Cover voids, post-voids, and the no-sale function — these are the high-risk keys audited monthly.

Count the drawer to start-of-shift float, run the X-report at midday, and run the Z-report at close. Drop to the safe at every $500 in twenties — drawer over-accumulation is the single biggest robbery-loss multiplier.

Walk the posted return policy and restocking-fee rules. Any refund over $50 requires manager approval at the POS prompt — no exceptions, even for regulars. Record one each of a return, exchange, and gift-card reload in training mode.

Run one buy-online-pickup-in-store order end-to-end: pick from the OMS queue, verify SKU and size, bag with receipt, stage on the BOPIS shelf, and mark ready in Shopify / NetSuite OMS. Note the 7-day customer pickup window before auto-cancellation.

Cover dress code, attendance and call-out policy, no-call-no-show consequence, shift-swap rules, and the predictive-scheduling notice window if the store is in NYC, Seattle, San Francisco, Oregon, Philadelphia, or Chicago.

Cover the state-specific meal and rest break thresholds (CA: 30-minute meal by hour 5, 10-minute paid rest per 4 hours). Missed meals trigger one hour of premium pay — the time-clock system flags these for the manager to acknowledge.

Walk through Title VII, ADA Title III customer-facing duties, and the reporting path for harassment complaints (HR hotline, district manager, third-party EthicsPoint). State-mandated training in CA, NY, IL, CT, DE, ME, and WA must be completed in the first 90 days.

Capture the new hire's signature confirming receipt and understanding of the handbook, safety policy, cash-handling policy, and harassment policy. The store manager records overall training status — incomplete items go on a follow-up list.

Book the 30-day review with the store manager to confirm SPLH, UPT, and conversion benchmarks are tracking and to address any follow-up items flagged at sign-off.