A short note a new hire gets before day one that tells them where to go, when, what to bring and who will meet them.
Most new hires have three documents in front of them in the same week: the offer letter, the new-hire paperwork, and the welcome letter. The offer letter sets the terms. The paperwork covers tax and work eligibility forms. The welcome letter is the only one written for the person instead of for a file, so it can be warm and specific.
EZTime digital HR forms let you send, sign and file employee documents online.
That difference matters when you write it. A welcome letter that repeats the pay rate can drift from the offer if someone types it from memory. One that says the role is “permanent” or “for as long as you want it” can be read as a promise, which sits badly with at-will employment. Leave terms to the offer letter and the handbook, and keep the welcome letter about the first days.
“Hi Dana, we are glad you are joining the night crew. Your first shift is Monday, November 16, from 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Park in lot C and use the door marked Staff next to dock 4; ring the bell and Luis Romero, your shift lead, will let you in. His mobile is in the text we sent. Please bring the original documents for your I-9 and closed-toe shoes. Luis will set up your clock-in on your phone at the start of the shift and walk you through the pick routes. We are paid every other Friday; your first check on November 27 will cover your first week only. Questions before Monday? Reply to this email or text Luis.”
Count what this letter does: nine facts, one name, zero policy. The pay rate is not in it, because the offer letter already covers it. The short first check is explained ahead of time, which heads off the most common week-two question.
Most businesses need two or three versions of the welcome letter: one for a single site, one for field roles that start at different addresses, and one for night shifts. Keep the same structure and fill in what changes, so every new hire gets the same essentials.
Send it by the channel the person actually reads. For many hourly new hires that is a text message with a link, not an email. Keep the first lines to the shift time, the address and who to ask for, because many people will read only that.
A pest control company’s new technician does not start at an office. His first day begins at a customer’s site with a senior tech.
His welcome letter gives the address of the first job, the senior tech’s name and phone number, the start time, and what to bring. It says he will set up the mobile clock with his trainer before the first job, and that the first two weeks are ride-alongs on paid time. He arrives on time at the right address, which in the past was not always the case.
The first shift date and times, where to go and who meets them, what to bring (including documents for Form I-9), how they will record time, when the first payday is, and a short outline of the first day.
Either works, but the letter reads better when it comes from or names the direct manager or shift lead. HR can keep a template so the practical details are consistent.
After the offer is accepted and any pre-employment steps are done, usually five to seven days before the first shift. Too early and the details change; too late and there is no time to plan transport or childcare.
The content is the same; the delivery differs. Many teams send it as an email or text. See the new employee welcome email template for a ready version.
It is not meant to be a contract, but anything written to an employee can be pointed to later. Keep pay, hours guarantees and job security language out of it and in the offer letter and handbook.
Yes, briefly. Tell the new hire what to wear on the first day and whether a uniform will be provided.
Yes. For many hourly roles a short text with the essentials and a link to the full letter works better than email.
Digital HR forms and e-signatures let new hires finish forms from their phone, and the documents land in their digital employee file.