Household employee onboarding checklist

Use this worksheet to assign the practical setup tasks before work begins and check what happened after the first payday. It is not a complete compliance checklist. Add requirements for the state, locality, and specific work arrangement.

Role: [] Planned start: [] Work location(s): [___]

For each task, record owner / due date / completion date / where the record is kept. An unchecked item means it still needs attention.

Download the editable text version. Open it in a text editor or copy it into your preferred document editor.

Before the offer is finalized

• Confirm duties, regular schedule, work locations, and any live-in, travel, or overnight arrangements.
• Resolve who employs and directs the worker, including any agency or second household’s role. Start with the household employee basics.
• Review applicable wage, overtime, leave, notices, insurance, and hiring requirements for each work location with appropriate help.
• Agree on gross pay, pay frequency, offered benefits, schedule-change arrangements, and approved expenses.
• Complete the agreed reference and screening process with required permissions.
• Put final employment terms in writing and provide required notices. Record any open questions and who will resolve them.

Before the first shift

• Assign employer-registration, payroll, tax, and year-end reporting responsibilities. Review the payroll starting checklist and IRS Publication 926.
• If using a payroll service, confirm its written scope, setup date, funding process, and employer review tasks. Use the provider questions.
• Arrange employment-eligibility verification where required. Assign the current Form I-9 process and deadlines using the existing I-9 guide. Do not treat this worksheet as a substitute for the official instructions.
• Collect payroll information through an appropriate secure channel. Keep identity documents and bank details out of shared planning worksheets.
• Set the workweek, time-entry method, review process, and first payday. Consult the recordkeeping guide.
• Prepare emergency contacts, household safety information, access arrangements, and any role-specific care instructions.

During orientation

• Review duties and boundaries together, including tasks that are outside the role.
• Walk through routines, supplies, emergency procedures, and who to contact when plans change.
• Explain privacy, photos, visitors, device use, and household access expectations.
• Demonstrate timekeeping and the process for reporting mistakes, expenses, schedule changes, or concerns.
• Schedule a first-week check-in and record questions that still need answers.

After the first payday

• Compare recorded hours and agreed pay arrangements with the pay record; resolve discrepancies promptly.
• Confirm payment arrived and the worker can access the appropriate pay information.
• Confirm assigned setup tasks were completed; investigate missing confirmations.
• Store payroll and employment records securely with access limited to those who need it.
• Review whether the duties and schedule match the actual job; document agreed changes.

Open items

Task or question	Owner	Due date	Outcome / secure record location
[___]	[___]	[___]	[___]
[___]	[___]	[___]	[___]
[___]	[___]	[___]	[___]

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Information only. Source review: October 19, 2026. General planning information, not legal or tax advice. Federal tax setup references were checked against the current IRS guide; linked existing guides provide additional source context. No new I-9 timing or wage-rule claims are made here. State and local review remains necessary. No specialist sign-off.