This template is for whoever ended up doing the hiring paperwork. Maybe you own the business. Maybe you're the office manager who got handed HR because you were standing nearest when it came up. Either way, you've got a new person starting and a vague feeling that something's missing. This is the list that makes the feeling go away.
Using it is simple. Fill in the header first: the new starter's name, role, start date, first pay day and who's running the checklist. Then give every line a named owner. Not "the office", an actual person. Tick each line and date it as you go, and when you're done, keep the whole thing in the new starter's file.
The lines run in order: before day one, day one, by the first pay day, then the first two months. Each one says who does it and whether the law requires it, with the rule quoted and a link to where it says so. That column matters. Some lines are legal duties with deadlines: GOV.UK says "You must check that a job applicant is allowed to work for you in the UK before you employ them", and "The employer must provide the principal statement on the first day of employment and the wider written statement within 2 months of the start of employment." Other lines are just sensible practice. Bank details are one; Acas lists "bank details, National Insurance number and P45" as first-day information. Emergency contacts are another. You'll want both, but the template marks them as good practice, so you can see at a glance what can't slip and what can wait until Thursday.
A bit of housekeeping about the name, because it trips people up. In the UK, "new starter checklist" very often means HMRC's own starter checklist, the form a new employee fills in when there's no P45. GOV.UK says "if you do not have their P45, use HMRC's 'starter checklist' (which replaced the P46)". This is not that. This is the employer's list, the whole set of forms and records you're responsible for. HMRC's form is one line on it, in the right place.
It's also only the paperwork. The softer side, a buddy, a plan for the first weeks, making someone feel less like a stranger by Wednesday, lives in the UK employee onboarding checklist. The two work well together, but mixing them into one giant list is how things get lost.
Some lines have a tail on them. A right to work check isn't finished when you've looked at the document, because there's a copy to keep and a date to record. The Pensions Regulator says "Your workplace pension legal duties begin on the day your first member of staff starts work." And the ICO says "you must give them the privacy information at the time you collect their information", not a fortnight later, which is why the details form at the bottom has a privacy line on it.
The template
New starter paperwork checklist
[Company name]
About the new starter
| Detail | Entry |
|---|---|
| New starter's name | [Full name] |
| Job title | [Job title] |
| Start date | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| First pay day | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| Line manager | [Name] |
| Person responsible for this checklist | [Name and role] |
| Where the new starter's file is kept | [Location, for example HR folder or shared drive path] |
How to read the "Law?" column: Yes means a legal duty, quoted from the source. If it applies means a legal duty that depends on the role or your choices. Good practice means no rule is quoted because it's there to make the rest work.
Before day one
| Done | Item | Who does it | Law? | The rule, and where it says so | Date done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Offer accepted; start date and first pay day confirmed | [Hiring manager] | Good practice | Fixes the dates the deadlines below run from. | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Right to work checked, online with a share code or original documents checked with them present | [Name] | Yes | "You must check that a job applicant is allowed to work for you in the UK before you employ them." gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Copy of the right to work documents made (a copy that cannot be changed) and the date of the check recorded | [Name] | Yes | "keep copies during the applicant's employment and for 2 years after they stop working for you" and "record the date the check was made". gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Criminal record (DBS) check, if the role needs one | [Name] | If it applies | "You may need to check if someone has a criminal record, for example, if they'll be working in healthcare or with children." gov.uk/employ-someone | [DD/MM/YYYY or "Not needed"] |
| ☐ | Employers' liability insurance in place, and the certificate somewhere staff can access it | [Owner or office manager] | Yes | You must get it "as soon as you become an employer" and "display your EL certificate where employees can access it". GOV.UK lists exceptions, such as only employing a family member. gov.uk/employers-liability-insurance | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Health and safety law poster up, or the leaflet ready to hand over | [Name] | Yes | "display the health and safety law poster where your workers can easily read it" or "provide each worker with the equivalent health and safety law leaflet". hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/display.htm | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Privacy information for staff ready to go out with any form that collects their details | [Name] | Yes | "If you are collecting personal information directly from your workers, you must give them the privacy information at the time you collect their information." ico.org.uk employment records guidance | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | New starter details form (below) sent, with the privacy information | [Name] | Good practice | Gets payroll details in before day one instead of on it. | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Pension: note whether they're likely to need enrolling, and when they'll meet the age and earnings criteria | [Payroll or pension contact] | Yes | "You must monitor the ages of your staff and the amount you pay them (including new starters) to see if you need to put any of them into a pension scheme." thepensionsregulator.gov.uk ongoing duties | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Principal written statement drafted and checked, ready for day one | [Name] | Good practice | Preparation for the day-one duty below. | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
Day one
| Done | Item | Who does it | Law? | The rule, and where it says so | Date done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Principal written statement given | [Line manager or HR] | Yes | "The employer must provide the principal statement on the first day of employment". gov.uk written statement of employment particulars | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Information on sick pay and procedures, other paid leave and notice periods given, in the statement or a separate document they can easily get to | [Line manager or HR] | Yes | "On the first day of employment the employer must also provide the employee or worker with information about" sick pay and procedures, other paid leave and notice periods. gov.uk written statement of employment particulars | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | P45 collected, or HMRC's starter checklist completed | [Payroll] | Yes (payroll) | "if you do not have their P45, use HMRC's 'starter checklist' (which replaced the P46)". gov.uk/new-employee | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Payroll details collected: date of birth, gender, full address, start date, National Insurance number | [Payroll] | Yes (payroll) | GOV.UK lists these as information "You'll need" from the employee or their P45, and "You must keep this information in your payroll records for the current year and the 3 following tax years." gov.uk/new-employee/employee-information | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Bank details for pay collected | [Payroll] | Good practice | Acas lists "bank details, National Insurance number and P45" as first-day information. acas.org.uk planning an induction | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Emergency contact collected | [Line manager or HR] | Good practice | Keep it with the rest of the file, under the same retention schedule. | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Health and safety instructions and information given: fire and emergency procedures, how to report a problem, anything specific to the role | [Line manager] | Yes | "You must give your workers clear instructions and information, as well as adequate training and supervision." hse.gov.uk training | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Health and safety policy shared | [Line manager or HR] | Yes | "You must share the policy, and any changes to it, with your employees." It must be written down "If you have five or more employees". hse.gov.uk policy | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Key policies shared and acknowledged, one form per policy | [HR] | Good practice | Use the policy acknowledgement form. | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
By the first pay day
| Done | Item | Who does it | Law? | The rule, and where it says so | Date done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | New employee set up in payroll and reported to HMRC on a Full Payment Submission (FPS) | [Payroll] | Yes | "You must tell HMRC about your new employee on or before their first pay day." gov.uk/employ-someone "Register your employee with HMRC using a Full Payment Submission (FPS)." gov.uk/new-employee | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
Within the first two months
| Done | Item | Who does it | Law? | The rule, and where it says so | Date done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Pension: if they meet the criteria, enrolled and written to | [Payroll or pension contact] | Yes | "You must put them into a pension scheme and write to them within six weeks from the day they meet the age and earnings criteria." thepensionsregulator.gov.uk ongoing duties | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | Pension: if you're using postponement instead, postponement letter sent | [Payroll or pension contact] | If it applies | "You can postpone for up to three months." "You must write to each member of staff individually to tell them that you have delayed working out who to put into a scheme". thepensionsregulator.gov.uk postponement | [DD/MM/YYYY or "Not used"] |
| ☐ | Wider written statement given: pensions, collective agreements, non-compulsory training, disciplinary and grievance procedures | [HR] | Yes | "Employers must give employees and workers a wider written statement within 2 months of the start of employment." gov.uk written statement of employment particulars | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| ☐ | If their right to work is time-limited, follow-up check date put in the diary | [Name] | If it applies | "If your employee's right to work is time-limited, you'll need to check their documents again when it's due to expire." gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work | [Follow-up date, or "Not time-limited"] |
| ☐ | Any later change to the written statement: new starter told in writing | [HR] | Yes | "They must do this within one month of making the change." gov.uk written statement of employment particulars | [DD/MM/YYYY or "No changes"] |
Records to keep
| Record | Where it's kept | How long | The rule, and where it says so |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right to work copies and the date of the check | [Location] | During employment and 2 years after they leave | "keep copies during the applicant's employment and for 2 years after they stop working for you". gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work |
| Payroll information from the P45 or starter checklist | [Location] | The current year and the 3 following tax years | "You must keep this information in your payroll records for the current year and the 3 following tax years." gov.uk/new-employee/employee-information |
| Pension records (enrolment, contributions, requests to join or leave) | [Location] | Six years; requests to leave, four years | "You must keep these records for six years except for requests to leave the pension scheme which must be kept for four years." thepensionsregulator.gov.uk ongoing duties |
| Written statements, details form, bank details, emergency contact, signed acknowledgements | [Location] | [Your retention period] | "The storage limitation principle says you can only keep personal information for as long as you need it." ico.org.uk employment records guidance |
New starter details form
Send this page to the new starter before their first day.
| Detail | Entry |
|---|---|
| Full name | |
| Preferred name | |
| Date of birth | |
| Gender (for payroll) | |
| Home address | |
| Personal email | |
| Mobile number | |
| National Insurance number | |
| Name on bank account | |
| Sort code | |
| Account number | |
| Emergency contact name | |
| Emergency contact relationship | |
| Emergency contact phone number |
Please also:
- Bring or send your P45 from your last job, or fill in HMRC's starter checklist if you don't have one
- Share your right to work share code, or bring your original right to work documents, before your start date: [date]
[Company name] uses these details to pay you, to meet its legal duties as your employer, and to contact someone for you in an emergency. How we handle your information, how long we keep it and your rights over it are set out here: [link to or location of staff privacy information].
| Name | Signature | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New starter | [Full name] | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
Sign-off
| Name | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Checklist completed by | [Name and role] | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| Checked by | [Name and role] | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
Questions people ask
What paperwork do I need for a new starter in the UK?
The legal core is a right to work check with a dated copy, the principal written statement on day one and the wider one within two months, their P45 or HMRC's starter checklist, reporting them to HMRC by their first pay day, and assessing them for pension enrolment. Around that sit employers' liability insurance, the health and safety poster or leaflet, and privacy information when you collect their details. The template lists each one in order with its source.
What is a starter checklist?
It's HMRC's form for a new employee who doesn't have a P45. It replaced the P46, and the employer uses it to work out the tax code for their first pay. HMRC also says an employer may ask for one even if the employee gives them a P45.
Do I have to give a new starter a contract on their first day?
You have to give them the principal written statement on their first day, and the wider written statement within two months. GOV.UK is clear that the written statement "is not an employment contract", though it sets out the main conditions of employment.
When does a new starter have to be put into a workplace pension?
If they meet the age and earnings criteria, you must put them into a scheme and write to them within six weeks from the day they meet them. You can postpone for up to three months instead, but you must write to them to say so.
How long should I keep new starter paperwork?
Right to work copies for the whole of their employment and two years after. The payroll information from their P45 or starter checklist for the current year and the three following tax years. Pension records for six years, or four for requests to leave. For everything else, set your own period in a retention schedule, because the ICO says you can only keep personal information for as long as you need it.
Sources
The pages this template quotes and links, checked on 29 September 2026.
- gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work
- gov.uk/employment-contracts-and-conditions/written-statement-of-employment-particulars
- acas.org.uk/inductions/planning-an-induction-programme
- gov.uk/government/publications/paye-starter-checklist
- gov.uk/new-employee
- thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers/new-employers
- ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/employment/employment-practices-and-data-protection-keeping-employment-records/collecting-and-keeping-employment-records
- gov.uk/employ-someone
- gov.uk/employers-liability-insurance
- hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/display.htm
- thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers/new-employers/im-an-employer-who-has-to-provide-a-pension/declare-your-compliance/ongoing-duties-for-employers
- gov.uk/new-employee/employee-information
- hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/training/index.htm
- hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/policy/index.htm
- thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers/new-employers/im-an-employer-who-has-to-provide-a-pension/work-out-who-to-put-into-a-pension/postponement