One of the most important items in your new employee checklist should be process of recording your new employees information. This article will provide you with a guide that contains all the details relating to new employee information forms.

What is a New Employee Form?

• New employee information forms help provide all the data and details of an employee that can be used to keep a track of who they worked for, when, where, and in what positions.

• The new employee form template also contains emergency contact details of the employee which can be of help in the event of any serious workplace injury.

• These forms are usually used to pass information between an employee and employer. New employee forms help to establish an agreement between two parties, where one party offers their services and the other uses those skills or services to run the organisation.

• Once the employee is hired, the new employee forms can also be used to make requests and record payment any other required information.

How Do New Employee Information Forms help?

Once the employee is hired and starts working with the organisation, they must complete all their information in an online employee commencement form.

Completing an employee information form can help streamline the onboarding process for employers and employees.

Aside from streamlining the onboarding process, it shortens the process of sending the form back to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) which becomes easier for employers to store and file the employee details.

The online employee commencement forms available from the ATO website include:

• Superannuation standard choice
• Withholding declaration
• Tax file number declaration
• Medicare levy variation declaration

When To Use New Employee Information Forms?

It is recommended to use employee information forms during the employee onboarding process. The new employment forms should be used when:

• An employee starts a new job with a new employer

• Employee's circumstances change and their employer may have to recalculate the amount of tax withheld from the payments made.

• An employee wants their employer to pay for their super guarantee (SG) into a new super fund.

Download New Employee Form Template PDF

ClockOn have created this handy fillable PDF form to make it easy to capture some basic information from your new employees. This form will not substitute the official ATO forms that may need to be completed but it will provide you with a useful summary of your new employee's details.

Note: Any employee information form that is uploaded before 2017 will not be displayed on the ATO online platform.

If you are unable to see your current employment details, you don't have to submit a new employee information form unless there are any changes.

What is the required information within the Employee Information Forms?

Having a streamlined onboarding program means you're more likely to be protected from a legal perspective. This also means you have obtained all the required details of your new employee and can store them for future reference.

Here is a basic new employee checklist for employers that adheres to Australian employment requirements.

1. Personal Contact Details

New employees should provide their basic personal details such as a home address, postal address, contact numbers, email address, etc.

2. Emergency Contact Details

In the event of a workplace accident or illness, your new employee should provide emergency contact details including the name and phone number of their next of kin.

3. Bank Account Details

The new employee will have to provide you with details of their bank account so that they can receive their regular salary or wages.

4. Position Description

Outlining the position description can help clarify the job title, related tasks, and key responsibilities of your new employee.

Employees may want to add a detailed description of their job position to eliminate miscommunication between them and the employer.

5. Superannuation Standard Choice Form

Employers must provide their new employees with a standard choice form that outlines their new employee options for choosing a fund. This form can be used by both employers and employees.

6. Australian Tax File Number (TFN) Declaration Form

An employer will have to provide their new employee with a TFN Declaration Form. All the related details of the TFN declaration form can be directly lodged online or can also be ordered from the ATO.

A TFN declaration form consists of two sections:

(i) Section A - That is to be filled out by the employee

(ii) Section B - This is to be completed by an employer.

7. Fair Work Information Statement and Copy of the Relevant Award

Since 1 January 2010, it is mandatory for all employers in Australia to provide their new employees with a copy of the Fair Work Information Statement.

A copy of the Fair Work Information Statement can also be accessed online. The statement contains a summary of employee's entitlements under the Fair Work Act of 2009.

It also provides employees with contact details of Fair Work Australia. As an employer, you can also provide your new employee with a copy of the relevant Award, which is available on the Fair Work Australia website.

8. Employment Contract and Confidentiality Agreement

An employment contract and confidentiality agreement are between an employer and an employee, which contains a set of terms and conditions of employment.

The agreement should be retained with the employer in their personnel records and they must also provide their new employee with a copy.

For a full list of legal requirements, please refer to this Fairwork Australia website. 

Download New Employee Form Template PDF

ClockOn have created this handy fillable PDF form to make it easy to capture some basic information from your new employees. This form will not substitute the official ATO forms that may need to be completed but it will provide you with a useful summary of your new employee's details.

Are you ATO compliant?

All employers need to report their payroll information to the ATO via Single Touch Payroll (STP). Employers with less than 20 employees can download ClockOn's ATO-approved Payroll and STP software. It's easy to use, ATO compliant, and FREE for businesses with less than 20 employees. If you’d like to find out more, please contact us today or if you're ready to get started, the free software can be easily downloaded below.