Employee Onboarding Checklist

Section 1 of Form I-9 must be completed by end of day 1; Section 2 (document review) within 3 business days of start. Run E-Verify within 3 days of hire if enrolled. Retain original documents per the M-274 handbook — copies in the HRIS, not in a paper drawer.

FLSA exempt vs. non-exempt drives timekeeping, overtime, and shift differential rules. Hourly production roles are typically non-exempt — confirm before pay setup, since misclassification triggers DOL back-wage exposure.

Include start date, shift assignment, pay rate, at-will language, and any restrictive covenants reviewed by counsel. For union shops, reference the applicable CBA wage scale and probationary period.

Drug screen panel depends on role — DOT-regulated drivers require 49 CFR Part 40; safety-sensitive production roles typically use a 5- or 10-panel. Watch state-specific marijuana carve-outs (NY, NJ, CA) and FCRA disclosure timing on the background check.

Email, ERP (NetSuite / Epicor / Plex), MES, time-clock profile, and physical access badge with the right zone permissions. Floor employees rarely need a laptop but always need a time-clock PIN before shift 1 — missing this strands them at the clock on day 1.

Safety glasses, hearing protection, steel-toe boots (or boot voucher per your policy), cut-resistant gloves, and FR clothing if the role requires it. Size to the employee — generic stock is the most common reason a new hire's first-week PPE compliance slips.

W-4, state withholding, direct deposit, benefits enrollment window, handbook acknowledgment, EEO self-ID, and emergency contact. Confirm every form is signed before sending the new hire to the floor — chasing signatures after week 1 is the usual failure mode.

OSHA 1910.1200 requires HazCom training before exposure to hazardous chemicals — not after. Walk the SDS binder location (or digital portal), label reading (HMIS / NFPA 704), and the chemicals actually present in their work area, not a generic deck.

Per 1910.147, all affected employees get awareness training; authorized employees who actually apply locks get the full procedure-specific training before they service equipment. Distinguish the two during onboarding so you don't accidentally credential an affected-only worker as authorized.

Show the EAP per 1910.38: alarm signals, evacuation routes from their work cell, muster point, AED and eyewash locations, and how to report a near miss. Walking the route beats pointing at a map.

Receiving → raw stockroom → their work center → WIP staging → final inspection → shipping. Introduce the cell lead, quality inspector, and material handler they'll work with daily. End at the time clock and break room.

OSHA 1910.178 requires equipment-specific training and an evaluation before unsupervised operation. A counterbalance certification does not cover a reach truck or order picker — train per equipment type the employee will actually drive.

Walk the routing, traveler, and current-rev work instructions for every operation in their cell. Verify document rev against PLM (SolidWorks PDM, Arena, Windchill) — outdated printouts at the workstation are a common defect source.

Assign a named mentor — not just "whoever's on shift." Mentor signs off skill milestones on the training matrix: setup, first-piece, in-process inspection, scrap reporting, andon escalation. Most quality issues in the first 60 days trace back to a missing mentor signoff.

Cover FAI requirements at changeover, in-process sampling per the control plan, gauge use (caliper, micrometer, pin gauge, comparator), and the NCR / red-tag procedure when something is out of spec. Reference the QMS — ISO 9001, AS9100, IATF 16949, or ISO 13485 as applicable.

Material handlers, receivers, and many cell operators run powered industrial trucks; assemblers and inspectors usually don't. Confirm before scheduling the certification block — pulling someone from the floor for unneeded training burns capacity.

Review training matrix progress, attendance, safety incidents or near-misses logged, and any quality escapes traced to the new hire. Surface roadblocks early — most voluntary attrition in manufacturing happens in the first 90 days.

Pull the training matrix from the LMS (or paper file). All required mentor signoffs should be complete; flag any gaps for follow-up training before the 90-day review.

Supervisor and HR jointly assess: skill milestones met, attendance, safety record, fit. Capture the disposition — confirm, extend probation, or separate — with a documented rationale. Union shops must follow the CBA's probationary clock exactly; missing it converts the employee to regular status by default.