Onboarding
Employee onboarding is the process that turns an accepted job offer into a working employment record, ready for payroll, benefits, and system access.
- LAW
- 8 CFR 274a.2 (I-9); 42 U.S.C. §653a (new hires)
- LIMIT
- New-hire report within 20 days (federal)
- DEADLINE
- Form I-9 Section 2 within 3 business days
- WATCH FOR
- Finished forms alone do not confirm employer-side setup
Onboarding collects the new hire’s legal identity, work authorization, tax elections, banking details, and policy acknowledgments, mostly before the first day worked. You then set up payroll, benefits, and system access. Self-onboarding lets the employee enter personal, tax, banking, and document details, which tends to improve accuracy. You still own hire date, compensation, department, location, manager, pay group, and benefit eligibility. Finished forms do not by themselves confirm that your side is configured correctly.
What happens before the first paycheck?
Onboarding typically runs through a sequence of phases rather than a single form. Not every phase finishes before day one.
- 01
Prepare the record. You set hire date, employment status, compensation, department, location, manager, pay group, and benefit eligibility.
- 02
Collect the new hire’s information. The employee enters personal, tax, banking, and document details, often through self-onboarding.
- 03
Verify eligibility and identity. The employee completes Form I-9 Section 1, and you examine the documents and complete Section 2.
- 04
Ready payroll, benefits, and the workplace. Tax setup, benefit enrollment, equipment, and system access come next.
- 05
Review before go-live. You confirm your own setup before the record goes live.
Which onboarding deadlines are set by law?
Federal law sets these clocks, and state law can shorten the deadline for the new-hire report.
- First dayThe employee completes and signs Form I-9 Section 1 no later than the first day of employment.
- 3 business daysYou complete Section 2 within three business days of the first day of work for pay. For a job under three business days, complete it on day one.
- Penalty deadline: 20 daysReport the hire to the state where the employee works, sooner where state law says; a state can fine you for a missed report.
How is onboarding different from implementation?
Implementation creates a new payroll environment for an employer, and migration moves an existing employer off a prior provider. Employee onboarding runs every time someone new joins, whether you are new to a payroll system or have run it for years. Providers also call implementation “employer onboarding”: the work from contract to the first live payroll. An unfamiliar sender can make a real request look like phishing. Name your company in the invitation, with the reason, the deadline, how to log in, and where to get help.
Frequently asked
- 8 CFR 274a.2, Verification of identity and employment authorization
- USCIS, Completing Section 2, Employer Review and Attestation
- 42 U.S.C. §653a, State Directory of New Hires
- Administration for Children and Families, New Hire Reporting
General information, not legal or tax advice. Apply current federal and state rules with qualified guidance.