New Employee Onboarding Checklist

Pull the correct uniform size from the new-hire kit, print the name tag from the label maker, and assign a stockroom locker. Common gotcha: uniform sizes run small on the current vendor — pull one size up if the associate is between sizes.

Create the cashier ID in the POS (Lightspeed, Shopify POS, or whichever system the store runs) at the lowest permission tier — sale + exchange only, no manager-level voids or refunds. Issue a unique timeclock PIN in the scheduling tool (Homebase, When I Work, 7shifts). Do not reuse a terminated associate's ID.

Cover the sales floor zones, fitting rooms, restrooms, break room, stockroom, receiving dock, emergency exits, fire extinguishers, the safe, and the alarm panel. Point out the posted OSHA 300A summary and the state labor-law poster.

Pull the signed offer letter and confirm the classification. Full-time triggers benefits enrollment within the new-hire window; part-time and seasonal do not. Misclassification at this step compounds — overtime eligibility and break-rule thresholds depend on it.

Section 1 by end of Day 1; Section 2 within three business days of the start date. Inspect original List A or List B+C documents in person — copies are not acceptable. Run E-Verify if operating in AZ, AL, MS, NC, SC, TN, UT, GA, or FL above the state threshold. Attach the signed I-9 and document copies (where retention is permitted) to this step.

Collect the federal W-4 and the state withholding form (varies by state — some accept the federal W-4, others require their own, e.g., CA DE 4, NY IT-2104). Submit direct deposit authorization with a voided check or bank letter. Confirm pay-cycle expectations so the associate isn't surprised by a partial first paycheck.

Cover the no-pursuit policy explicitly: observe, document, call police, do not chase a shoplifter past the door. Review sweethearting and refund-fraud definitions and the disciplinary consequences. Have the associate sign the LP acknowledgment, confidentiality agreement, and (if used) the arbitration agreement.

Walk each department against the active planogram (POG) so the associate can find SKUs in the ad and replenish to the schematic. Point out the end-caps, promo tables, and clearance racks. Note which fixtures are transitional this week so the associate doesn't refold a display that's about to be reset.

Shadow covers the greeting script, fitting-room handling, the add-on / UPT prompt, and the loyalty signup ask at checkout. The buddy associate should not hand the register over to the new hire on shadow shifts — observation only until POS certification is complete.

Run live transactions: sale with loyalty lookup, sale with gift card, refund to original tender, exchange with price difference, BOPIS pickup, and store credit issuance. Walk through the manager-approval prompts so the associate knows when to call a key holder over rather than override.

Count the drawer to the start-of-shift float (commonly $150–$300 in mixed denominations). Reconcile against the X-report. Walk through the cash-drop policy — every $500 in the drawer, or every two hours, goes into the safe via the drop slot. Drawers held above threshold are the single biggest robbery-loss exposure.

Issue a unique alarm code in the panel — never share an existing key holder's code. Walk the open and close alarm sequences, the duress code, and the safe combination or smart-safe PIN. Have the associate open and close the store under supervision before their first solo lockup.

Review the associate's KPIs against store targets: UPT, ADS, loyalty signup rate, and attendance. Surface friction early — schedule conflicts, training gaps, or peer-fit concerns are cheaper to address at 30 days than at 90.