What to sort out in your first week at a new job

What you should receive and complete in your first weeks

Most of the admin is routine, but a few items protect your pay and your rights, so it is worth checking each one off.

• A Fair Work Information Statement. Employers must give every new employee a copy before, or as soon as possible after, they start. It covers the National Employment Standards, the right to request flexible working arrangements, modern awards, enterprise agreements, general protections and termination of employment.
• A Casual Employment Information Statement, if you are casual. This must come at the same time as the Fair Work Information Statement. Casual employees get it again after 12 months at a small business (fewer than 15 employees), or after 6 and 12 months and then every 12 months at other employers.
• Your terms of employment. An employment contract can be in writing or verbal, but asking for the pay rate, hours, employment type and any probation period in writing gives you something to refer back to.
• A tax file number declaration. You complete this so your employer can work out how much tax to withhold. If you tell your employer you have applied for a TFN, you have 28 days to provide it. If you still have not given it to them after that, they must withhold tax at the top rate plus Medicare until you do.
• A super choice. Employers must give eligible employees a standard choice form within 28 days of their start date. If you do not choose a fund, your employer must ask the ATO for your stapled fund, the existing account that follows you between jobs, so a new account is not opened every time you change jobs. Employees on a temporary visa are not automatically given the form, but can still ask to choose.
• Pay slips. These must be given to you within 1 working day of each pay day. If your first pay slip is issued within 14 days of your first pay day, it can leave out the super fund details if you have not told your employer your choice and they could not get your stapled fund from the ATO.
• A safety induction. Before you start work, your employer must train you so you are familiar with your tasks, your workplace and the people around you. Safe Work Australia lists your own safety responsibilities, the hazards and how they are controlled, how to use equipment safely, emergency procedures such as exits and assembly points, and where the first aid kit is. Ask if it has not happened by the end of the first week.

Which safety law applies depends on where you work. The model Work Health and Safety laws have been implemented in every jurisdiction except Victoria, which has its own legislation, so the regulator you would contact differs by state.

If something is missing, ask your manager or HR contact plainly, and use a message like the one below. Most gaps are oversights.

Probation is not the same as unfair dismissal protection

Many new starters are told they are on probation, which Fair Work says often runs for 3 to 6 months. Probation is a term of your contract, and you keep the same entitlements as other employees while it runs. That includes accruing and using paid leave if you are full-time or part-time, and if you do not pass probation you are still entitled to notice and to have your unused annual leave paid out.

The date you can apply for an unfair dismissal remedy is set separately by law: at least 6 months of employment, or 12 months at a small business. The two dates often differ. The probation periods guide sets out how to work out both dates for your own job, and casual employment rights covers what changes if you are not permanent.

A 30, 60 and 90 day plan

Nothing requires you to have a written plan, and some workplaces will give you a formal onboarding schedule. If yours does not, a simple one gives you and your manager something to talk about. Treat the table below as a starting point. The right targets depend on your role, and your manager's expectations override any generic template.

Habits that help across all three periods

Ask your manager what success looks like at each stage. A short conversation in week one, such as "What would you like me to have achieved by the end of the first month?", avoids guessing. It also gives you something concrete to check back against.

Book regular check-ins. A fortnightly 20-minute catch-up in the early months makes feedback routine rather than a verdict at the end of probation. If your manager is busy, send a two-line summary of what you did and what you plan to do, and ask them to correct anything.

Write things down. In the first month you will be given more names, processes and passwords than you can hold. A running document of questions and answers saves you asking twice, and it tells you what to add to your own notes for the next new starter.

Ask questions early. Most colleagues expect them from a new starter, and they are easier to ask in week two than in month six. If it helps, batch them so you are not interrupting all day.

Protect your time. Onboarding often involves many meetings and small requests at once. Our guide to time management at work may help you sort what needs doing this week from what can wait.

If it is not going well

Early friction is common, and much of it comes from unclear expectations. If you disagree with a colleague, resolving conflict at work covers how to start the conversation. If the problem is more serious, such as being belittled, excluded or treated unfairly, see what happens when you report workplace bullying for the formal options. You can also call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94 to check whether something you have been told is correct.