How to induct new employees into your workplace

By Charles Power

[Ed Note: Under health and safety legislation in all jurisdictions, you are required to provide your employees with induction to your workplace.

The law takes a very strict approach to the requirement to train and induct. If an incident occurs in your workplace and it is proven that one or more workers have not been either trained or inducted into the specific task they are undertaking or plant they are using, you may be charged with an offence under health and safety legislation.

Today, Charles Power will explain the six steps you should take when inducting new employees into your workplace. Over to Charles…]

6 Steps To Take When Inducting New Employees

Do the following things to ensure your induction program is up to standard:

1. Introduce the employee to their role

Review the job description and expectations of the role.

2. Introduce the employee to the business

Explain about:

• how the employee’s job fits into the business’s operations;
• your products or services; and
• customers or clients.

3. Introduce the employee to the workplace

Show the physical layout of the workplace including amenity facilities.

Make sure you don’t forget to show the employee where the first aid kit is kept and the emergency exits!

Provide an orientation to the employee’s local work area, including logging on to computers, stationery supplies, use of phones, etc.

4. Explain your workplace policies and procedures

Go through your workplace policies and procedures, including:

• the code of conduct;
• harassment policies; and
• accident and emergency procedures.

Give the employee copies of these documents and make sure that they sign a form to confirm that they have read and understood each policy and procedure.

5. Detail the safe work practices that are relevant to the employee’s role

Explain the safety issues relevant to the employee’s role, e.g. safe handling of chemical substances, safe use of forklift. Go through any related manuals, (material) safety data sheets and necessary personal protective equipment.

An induction must be provided before the employee starts performing the activity in question, especially for the use of machinery such as a forklift.

6. Explain how health and safety is managed in the workplace

Explain how to access health and safety information and how to report a hazard or other safety issue.

Ensure that employees whose first language is not English are able to understand the information provided. If necessary, use an interpreter.

Regards,

Charles Power Editor-in-Chief
Employment Law Practical Handbook