Bringing on a first employee means preparing a set of documents, starting with the offer letter and continuing through tax forms, work eligibility checks and signed policies. Some of these are federal requirements with fixed deadlines, while others are simply good practice that keeps expectations clear for both sides.
Sending each document at the right time also leaves you with a complete personnel file from the first day, which saves searching when a question about pay, benefits or company policy comes up months later. The new employee, in turn, gets a clear idea of what to expect during the first week.
Writing the Offer Letter
Start the offer letter with the details the employee will check first, including the job title, supervisor, pay and pay schedule, start date and benefits. It’s also the place to list conditions such as a background check or proof of work authorization, so both sides know what the offer depends on. Ask for a signed copy by a set date, and file it with a note of when it was sent.
Formal Notices and Signed Acknowledgments
Email works for everyday updates, but a handbook acknowledgment, a benefits notice or a revised policy sometimes needs a record showing the employee received it. Employers can use certifiedmaillabels.com to print certified mail labels for these mailings, which adds proof of mailing and tracking to the file. Ask the employee to sign and return each acknowledgment, then keep the signed copy beside the mailing record so the whole trail sits in one place.
Send benefits notices early enough for the employee to read them before an enrollment window closes, and mail revised policies as soon as they’re adopted, with the effective date written at the top of the first page. A short cover note naming each enclosed document makes it easy to confirm what was sent. For remote employees, the mailing record also shows the date each document went out, which gives you a clear date to reference once the signed copy returns.
Day-One Forms and Record Keeping
Form W-4 tells you how much federal income tax to withhold, and the new hire completes it along with Section 1 of Form I-9 on or before the first day. You then examine the original identity and work authorization documents and complete Section 2 within three business days of the start date. Payroll setup needs the state withholding form where your state uses one, plus a direct deposit authorization if you pay by bank transfer. Each new hire must also be reported to a state agency, usually within 20 days of the hire date, and some states set shorter deadlines.
Keep the I-9 in a separate folder from the personnel file, since it may need to be produced on its own, and retain it for three years after the hire date or one year after employment ends, whichever is later, and keep payroll tax records for at least four years. Once the first employee’s folder is complete, use it as the checklist for every hire that follows.
