Onboarding HR documentation is a crucial component of the employee onboarding process, serving as the backbone for integrating new hires into an organisation smoothly and effectively. This documentation encompasses a range of materials designed to ensure both legal compliance and a welcoming experience for new employees. It plays a pivotal role in setting expectations, outlining responsibilities, and providing essential information about the company culture, policies, and procedures.
An Onboarding HR Documentation template offers numerous advantages, including ensuring consistency and fairness, maintaining legal compliance, enhancing efficiency, and providing accuracy in the dissemination of critical information to new hires. It supports the representation of the company’s brand and culture consistently, while also allowing customization to meet specific departmental or role-based needs. This approach not only fosters a positive experience for new employees but also caters to the scalable growth of the organisation, making it a strategic choice for an effective and engaging onboarding process
Employee Handbook: An Employee Handbook is a critical resource for your staff, outlining your company culture, policies, and procedures. It’s typically given to new employees during their onboarding process and serves as a reference point throughout their tenure.
When to Use: Whenever a new employee joins your team or when significant changes to company policies occur.
How It Helps: It promotes consistency across your organisation and provides a go-to source for any questions employees may have regarding company policies.
Why It’s Used: It allows employers to communicate their expectations clearly, while employees can understand their rights and obligations within the workplace.
Should You Use It? Definitely. Even though there are no specific laws requiring employee handbooks in Australia, they’re essential for clear communication and setting expectations.
Scenario: A manager might refer to the handbook when addressing an employee’s behaviour that doesn’t align with company policy, or an employee could consult it to understand the company’s sick leave policy.
Employment Contract: This is a legally binding agreement between you and your employee, laying out the terms and conditions of employment. It outlines the rights, responsibilities, and duties of both parties.
When to Use: At the start of an employment relationship, and during major role changes or promotions.
How It Helps: It offers clarity and protection to both parties by specifying the terms of the employment relationship.
Why It’s Used: To protect the rights of both employers and employees and to outline their respective obligations.
Should You Use It? Absolutely. In Australia, it’s a legal requirement to have a written employment contract.
Scenario: You might refer to an employment contract when discussing a change in job duties with an employee, or an employee could use it when they need to understand their entitlements.
Job Descriptions: A Job Description is a detailed outline of the responsibilities and expectations for each role. It guides what is required from an employee in a particular position.
When to Use: During the hiring process to attract suitable candidates, and throughout an employee’s tenure to ensure they understand their role.
How It Helps: It clearly defines roles within the organisation, ensuring that employees know what is expected of them.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to set expectations and evaluate performance, while potential employees use it to see if a job aligns with their skills and interests.
Should You Use It? Yes. Job descriptions are a key part of effective human resources management.
Scenario: You could use a job description to assess an employee’s performance against their duties, or an employee could use it to gauge their progress and identify areas for development.
Performance Appraisal Forms: These forms are used to assess and review an employee’s work performance. They offer a structured way to evaluate an individual’s job performance and productivity.
When to Use: Typically, performance appraisals are conducted annually, but some organisations may choose to do them more frequently.
How It Helps: It offers a formalised process for providing feedback, setting goals, and identifying areas for improvement.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to monitor performance and guide decisions about promotions, pay raises, and training. Employees use it to get feedback and understand how they can improve.
Should You Use It? Yes. Regular performance appraisals are a fundamental component of performance management and employee development.
Scenario: A manager might use a performance appraisal form during a review meeting to discuss an employee’s achievements and areas for improvement, or an employee could use the feedback from the appraisal to develop their professional skills.
Leave Application Forms: These are documents that employees fill out to request time off from work. They provide a structured way for employees to officially request absence, whether paid or unpaid. The forms typically include fields for employee name, ID number, email, and the requested leave dates.
When to Use: An employee would use this form when they need to take time off work for any reason, such as vacation, personal matters, or medical reasons.
How It Helps: It helps to manage and track employee absences, ensuring that all leave requests are properly documented and processed.
Why It’s Used: Both employers and employees use it to keep a record of absences and ensure smooth operations in the workplace.
Should You Use It? Yes. It is essential for managing staff absences and maintaining a fair and organised system.
Scenario: An employee could use a leave application form to request vacation time, or an HR manager might use the forms to track and manage staff absences.
Employee Onboarding Checklists: These are guides used to ensure a smooth and comprehensive introduction for new hires. They typically include a list of tasks to be completed during the onboarding process, such as paperwork to be filled out, introductions to be made, and systems to be trained on.
When to Use: At the start of an employee’s tenure with the company, during their onboarding process.
How It Helps: It ensures that all important aspects of the onboarding process are covered and that the new hire is set up for success in their role.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to standardise and streamline the onboarding process, while new hires use it to understand what steps they need to take as they start their new job.
Should You Use It? Absolutely. It is a crucial tool for effective onboarding and can significantly impact an employee’s initial experience with your organisation.
Scenario: An HR manager could use the checklist to ensure all relevant onboarding tasks have been completed for a new hire, or a new employee could use it as a guide during their first few days on the job.
Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs): These are legal contracts used to protect sensitive company information. They prohibit the employee from sharing confidential information they have access to during their employment.
When to Use: Before exposing an employee to any confidential or proprietary information about your business.
How It Helps: It protects your company’s confidential information and asserts your legal rights should any breach occur.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to safeguard their intellectual property, business strategies, customer lists, and other confidential information.
Should You Use It? Yes. If your employees have access to any sensitive information, having them sign an NDA is a sensible precaution.
Scenario: An employer might require a new hire to sign an NDA before starting work, or it could be used when an existing employee is given access to confidential information as part of a new project.
Training and Development Plans: These documents outline learning opportunities and growth paths for employees. They typically include details about training sessions, skill development opportunities, and career progression paths.
When to Use: At the start of an employee’s tenure and regularly throughout their time with the company, particularly during performance reviews or when preparing for a role change or promotion.
How It Helps: It supports employee growth and development, helping them improve their skills and advance their careers.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to develop their workforce and improve company performance, while employees use it to guide their professional growth.
Should You Use It? Yes. These plans are a key part of employee development and can greatly contribute to your company’s success.
Scenario: A manager might refer to a training and development plan when discussing an employee’s career aspirations, or an employee could use it to identify opportunities for skill development and career progression.
Disciplinary Action Forms: These are documents used to record incidents and actions taken when employees violate company policies. They typically include details about the incident, the policy violated, the disciplinary action taken, and any future steps to prevent a recurrence.
When to Use: When an employee breaches company policy or fails to meet performance or conduct standards.
How It Helps: It provides a formal process for addressing issues and ensures that all disciplinary actions are documented and consistent.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to maintain order and fairness in the workplace, while employees can reference it to understand the consequences of policy violations.
Should You Use It? Yes. It is important for maintaining discipline and fairness in the workplace.
Scenario: A manager might use a disciplinary action form to document an issue with an employee’s performance or behaviour, or HR could refer to it when discussing the disciplinary action with the employee.
Recruitment Process Outline: This is a step-by-step guide to your company’s hiring process. It typically includes stages like job posting, candidate screening, interviewing, and onboarding.
When to Use: During the hiring process, from the moment a job vacancy is identified until a new hire is fully onboarded.
How It Helps: It standardises the hiring process, ensuring that all candidates go through the same stages and are evaluated fairly.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to attract, evaluate, and hire the best candidates, while job applicants can reference it to understand what to expect during the hiring process.
Should You Use It? Absolutely. Having a clear recruitment process is key to effective hiring.
Scenario: A hiring manager might use the recruitment process outline to plan their hiring activities, or a job applicant could refer to it to prepare for the different stages of the hiring process.
Exit Interview Questionnaire: This is a tool used to gain insights from departing employees. It typically includes questions about the employee’s experience, reasons for leaving, and suggestions for improvement.
When to Use: When an employee is leaving the company, either through resignation, retirement, or termination.
How It Helps: It provides valuable feedback that can be used to improve the workplace and reduce future employee turnover.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to understand why employees are leaving and how they can improve, while departing employees can use it to share their experiences and suggestions.
Should You Use It? Yes. Exit interviews are a valuable source of feedback and can help you improve your organisation.
Scenario: An HR manager might use the exit interview questionnaire to conduct an exit interview with a departing employee, or the employee could use it to express their thoughts and feelings about their time at the company.
Salary Slips: These provide a detailed breakdown of an employee’s earnings and deductions. They typically include details like basic salary, bonuses, taxes, and deductions for benefits.
When to Use: Typically provided to employees on a monthly basis, or whenever payroll is processed.
How It Helps: It provides transparency about an employee’s earnings and deductions, helping them understand exactly how their total compensation is calculated.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to document wage information, while employees use it for personal record keeping and to understand their compensation.
Should You Use It? Absolutely. Providing salary slips is a legal requirement in many regions, and it promotes transparency and trust.
Scenario: An employer would issue a salary slip to an employee after each pay period, or an employee might use their salary slip when applying for a loan or a visa.
Workplace Safety Policies: These are guidelines used to maintain a safe and healthy work environment. They typically cover issues like the use of protective equipment, procedures for handling hazardous materials, and steps to take in case of an emergency.
When to Use: Workplace safety policies should be in place at all times and regularly reviewed and updated.
How It Helps: It helps prevent workplace accidents and illnesses, ensuring that all employees have a safe and healthy environment in which to work.
Why It’s Used: Employers use it to comply with safety regulations and protect their employees, while employees use it to understand how to work safely.
Should You Use It? Definitely. Maintaining a safe workplace is not only a legal requirement but also essential for the wellbeing of your staff.
Scenario: A manager might refer to the workplace safety policies when training new employees, or an employee could consult them to understand how to handle a particular safety issue.
Employee Benefits Information
This provides comprehensive details about the perks and benefits your company offers. Employee benefits are an essential part of an employee’s compensation package, typically including extras like health insurance, retirement savings plans, paid vacation days, and more. It’s crucial for employees to understand these benefits as they can significantly contribute to their overall satisfaction and well-being.
When to Use: Employee Benefits Information should be used during the onboarding process, and regularly updated and made accessible to all employees throughout their tenure.
How it Helps in the Workplace: This document provides clarity on the various perks and benefits that employees are entitled to. It aids in maintaining transparency and ensuring that employees understand and utilise their benefits effectively, contributing to job satisfaction and employee retention.
Why It’s Used: It’s used to communicate the compensation package beyond the basic salary, including extras like health insurance, retirement savings plans, paid vacation days, and more. This can be a determining factor for potential candidates and a motivational tool for current employees.
Should You Use It? Yes, it is essential to use Employee Benefits Information to ensure that employees are aware of their entitlements.
Scenario: In an Australian software company, the HR team could distribute updated Employee Benefits Information when they introduce a new health insurance partner or alter existing retirement savings plans.
Employee Grievance Form
This is a formal document that allows employees to report workplace issues or complaints. It’s an important tool for maintaining open communication between management and staff. By allowing employees to voice their concerns, it ensures that these issues are appropriately addressed and resolved.
When to Use: Employee Grievance Forms should be used whenever an employee has a complaint or issue in the workplace that they wish to formally report.
How it Helps in the Workplace: The form maintains open communication between management and staff, ensuring that employees’ concerns are heard, addressed, and resolved appropriately.
Why It’s Used: It’s used to provide a formal process and channel for employees to raise issues, ensuring fairness and accountability within the workplace.
Should You Use It? Yes, it is crucial to have a system in place for handling grievances to maintain a respectful and harmonious work environment.
Scenario: In an Australian manufacturing company, an employee may use the Employee Grievance Form to report safety concerns about the equipment they are using.
Annual Leave Policy
This outlines your company’s policy on vacation and annual leave. It’s important for both employers and employees to have a clear understanding of leave entitlements, the process for requesting leave, and how leave can be taken. This policy helps manage expectations and ensures fair practices within the company.
When to Use: The Annual Leave Policy should be provided to employees upon their start date and referred to whenever leave is requested or planned.
How it Helps in the Workplace: It ensures a clear understanding of leave entitlements, the process for requesting leave, and how leave can be taken, promoting fair practices within the company.
Why It’s Used: It’s used to manage expectations around annual leave and maintain operational efficiency while respecting employees’ rights to vacation time.
Should You Use It? Yes, as it is vital to have a clear and fair policy in place regarding annual leave.
Scenario: At an Australian marketing agency, the HR department may refer to the Annual Leave Policy when planning for staff coverage during the holiday season.
Employee Recognition Letters
These templates are used to acknowledge and appreciate your employees’ hard work. Recognizing employees’ contributions can boost morale, increase productivity, and foster loyalty to the company. These letters can be used to recognize a variety of accomplishments, from meeting sales targets to providing exceptional customer service.
When to Use: These letters should be used whenever an employee meets or exceeds expectations, achieves a significant milestone, or provides exceptional service.
How it Helps in the Workplace: Employee Recognition Letters boost morale, increase productivity, and foster loyalty by acknowledging and appreciating employees’ hard work.
Why It’s Used: They are used to formally recognise and celebrate employees’ contributions, fostering a culture of appreciation and motivation.
Should You Use It? Yes, recognizing employees’ accomplishments is a proven method to motivate and retain talent.
Scenario: In an Australian retail company, the management might use an Employee Recognition Letter to acknowledge a team member who has consistently exceeded sales targets over the quarter.
Workplace Code of Conduct
This is a set of rules outlining the social norms, responsibilities, and proper practices for individuals within your organisation. A code of conduct typically covers areas like professional behaviour, ethics, and company values. It serves as a guideline for employees on how to behave in various situations and helps maintain a positive and respectful work environment.
When to Use: The Workplace Code of Conduct should be provided to employees during their induction, and referred back to whenever guidance is needed on professional behaviour, ethics, and company values.
How it Helps in the Workplace: This document serves as a guideline for employees on how to behave in various situations, promoting a positive and respectful work environment. It also aids in resolving disputes and managing disciplinary issues.
Why It’s Used: It’s used to set clear expectations around social norms, responsibilities, and proper practices, ensuring consistency in behaviour across the organisation.
Should You Use It? Yes, a clearly defined code of conduct is vital to maintaining a harmonious and productive workplace.
Scenario: In an Australian financial services firm, the HR team may refer to the Workplace Code of Conduct when addressing a complaint about unprofessional behaviour within the team.
Equal Opportunity Policy
This is a statement affirming your commitment to providing equal employment opportunities. The policy typically includes a commitment to non-discrimination based on attributes such as gender, race, age, religion, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation. It’s an essential part of fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and respected.
When to Use: The Equal Opportunity Policy should be provided to employees upon joining the company, and referenced whenever recruitment, promotions, or other employment decisions are made.
How it Helps in the Workplace: This policy promotes a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and respected. It helps prevent discrimination and ensures fair treatment of all employees, contributing to a more harmonious and productive work environment.
Why It’s Used: It’s used to affirm the company’s commitment to providing equal employment opportunities and non-discrimination based on attributes such as gender, race, age, religion, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation.
Should You Use It? Yes, implementing an Equal Opportunity Policy is essential to demonstrating your commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Scenario: In an Australian healthcare provider, the HR department may refer to the Equal Opportunity Policy when hiring new staff to ensure a fair and unbiased selection process.
Redundancy Letters
These are communication templates used when you need to make roles redundant. Redundancy letters typically include details about the reason for the redundancy, the consultation process, any severance pay, and support available to the affected employee. These letters are a crucial part of managing redundancies professionally and empathetically, ensuring that affected employees are treated with respect and dignity during a difficult time.
When to Use: Redundancy Letters should be used whenever roles within the organisation have to be made redundant.
How it Helps in the Workplace: These letters aid in managing redundancies professionally and empathetically, ensuring that affected employees are treated with respect and dignity during a difficult time.
Why It’s Used: They’re used to formally communicate details of the redundancy, including the reason for the redundancy, the consultation process, any severance pay, and support available to the affected employee.
Should You Use It? Yes, if redundancies are necessary, using a Redundancy Letter helps ensure clear communication and supports the affected employees as best as possible.
Scenario: In an Australian retail company, the management might use a Redundancy Letter to communicate to a store team that their roles are being made redundant due to the closure of their store.
Select your Human Resources Document Bundle to meet your individual business needs. Our tailored HR packages are to compliment any business industry, and are fully customisable to suit your content and branding.
Our documents are fully customisable and come in PDF and MS Word document formats. Whatever you company requirements are, we can provide them in the correct format.
Ease of access to your HR documentation so that your company can rest easy on the best HR documentation available on the web.
Place your documents on your internal server, and allow group editing for an integrated team experience. Alternatively inquire about our document hosting.
Highest quality so that there is no colour or data lost allowing for documentation that meets and exceeds Australian industry standards.
White label it all. Your branding will be added to the HR documentation making it instantly workable for your SME. Our product, your success.
The Human Resources Policy Bundles Package is fully customisable to meet the unique needs of each company. Whether it's a small startup or a large corporation, the content can be tailored to align with their specific HR policies and practices.
The package is available in MS Word format. This ensures easy accessibility and compatibility across different systems and software. If you need the documents in a specific format, please request with us in advance.
The policy bundles cover a wide range of HR areas such as recruitment, employee relations, performance management, compensation, and more. They provide a solid foundation for establishing and managing HR policies within an organisation.
To assist companies in customising the content effectively, the policy bundles include helpful notes and suggestions. These provide insights and hints on how to modify and adapt the policies to suit a company's specific requirements.
Companies have the flexibility to customise the colours and fonts used in the policy documents to align with their branding. This allows for a consistent and professional appearance that reflects the company's identity.
The policy bundles are stored in a secure cloud server or Dropbox, ensuring ease of access and integration with each business/company's internal system. This seamless integration facilitates efficient management and updates of HR policies.
The policy bundles can be easily downloaded, allowing companies to access them at any time and from anywhere. This convenience ensures that HR policies can be readily accessed and implemented when needed.
The policy bundles are stored in a secure cloud server or Dropbox, ensuring ease of access and integration with each business/company's internal system. This seamless integration facilitates efficient management and updates of HR policies.
Guided Business Essentials understands the importance of customizable and accessible HR policies. With their Human Resources Policy Bundles Package, companies can confidently establish and manage their HR practices while aligning them with their unique business needs and branding.