Staff induction checklist for pubs, restaurants and cafés
A good hospitality induction has three parts: legal checks done before the first shift (right to work, written statement, payroll details), a planned first shift covering safety, food hygiene, allergens and alcohol rules, and first-week sign-offs. Copy the checklist below, tick each item with a name and date, and keep it with the person's training record.
On this page
Most hospitality inductions happen on a Friday night with a "just follow Jess". Then three weeks later the new starter is serving a nut allergy table without knowing where the allergen info lives, or has never been shown the fire exits.
A proper induction doesn't need to be long. It needs to be planned, the same every time, and written down. Below is a checklist you can copy, a first-shift plan, and a few notes on what the law actually requires.
How to use this template
- Copy the checklist into whatever you use (a printed sheet in the office, a doc, or ShiftComplete).
- Do Part 1 before the first shift. Don't let anyone work until it's done.
- Give the new starter a named buddy for their first week.
- Tick each item with who did it and the date. That turns the checklist into a training record an EHO, licensing officer or tribunal can see.
- Keep the finished checklist with their training record.
Part 1: Before the first shift
| ✓ | Item | Notes | Done by / date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Right to work check completed and dated copy saved | Before they start, for every starter. See right to work checks | |
| ☐ | Written statement of terms ready for day one | Pay, hours, holiday, place of work, probation, compulsory training | |
| ☐ | Payroll details: bank, NI number, starter checklist / P45, date of birth | Date of birth sets their minimum wage band | |
| ☐ | Emergency contact | ||
| ☐ | Under 18? Young worker risk assessment and hours checked | See under-18s in pubs | |
| ☐ | Student visa? Term-time hours limit noted | ||
| ☐ | Workplace pension: assess them from their start date | The Pensions Regulator explains the steps | |
| ☐ | Uniform issued (free if you require it) | Required uniform costs can push pay below minimum wage | |
| ☐ | Added to rota, team messages and checklists | First shift rota'd with their buddy | |
| ☐ | Buddy chosen and told |
Part 2: First shift plan
Rota the first shift as a training shift: ideally a quieter session, not Saturday night, with an hour at the start before service. Put that hour on the rota and pay it. Induction is working time.
First hour (before service)
| ✓ | Item | Done by / date |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Welcome, tour, introduce the team and who's in charge on each shift | |
| ☐ | Fire: exits, assembly point, alarm sound, extinguishers, what to do if the alarm goes | |
| ☐ | First aid: where the kit is, who the first aiders are, how to report an accident | |
| ☐ | Sickness reporting: who to call, by when. Food handlers: must report diarrhoea or vomiting and stay off until 48 hours after symptoms stop | |
| ☐ | Personal hygiene: handwashing, hair, jewellery, cuts covered with blue plasters | |
| ☐ | Allergens: where the allergen information is, the rule "never guess, always check", how to flag an allergy order to the kitchen | |
| ☐ | Alcohol (licensed premises): age verification policy (e.g. Challenge 25), refusals, who authorises sales, refusals log | |
| ☐ | Their job today: their section, their buddy, breaks |
During the shift
| ✓ | Item | Done by / date |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Shadow buddy on their section | |
| ☐ | Till, payments, voids and who can authorise them | |
| ☐ | Safe use of equipment they'll use (glasswasher, coffee machine, slicer: only if trained) | |
| ☐ | Manual handling: kegs, crates, deliveries; what not to lift alone | |
| ☐ | Cleaning chemicals they'll use and where safety information is kept |
End of shift (10 minutes)
| ✓ | Item | Done by / date |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | How did it go? Any questions? | |
| ☐ | Show them how to see their rota and set availability | |
| ☐ | Confirm next shifts |
Part 3: First week sign-offs
| ✓ | Item | Done by / date |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Food hygiene training appropriate to their role (before they handle open food) | |
| ☐ | Allergen training (the FSA's free online course is a good start) | |
| ☐ | Temperature checks: how to take and log a fridge, freezer or hot-hold reading, what to do if it's out of range | |
| ☐ | Opening and closing routines for their role | |
| ☐ | Cellar or kitchen-specific training as relevant | |
| ☐ | Licensing: authorised to sell alcohol by a personal licence holder (England and Wales; putting it in writing is good practice) | |
| ☐ | Scotland: 2 hours' staff training completed and training record on premises before selling alcohol | |
| ☐ | Fire drill or walk-through done | |
| ☐ | Policies read: sickness, holiday booking, tips, harassment, social media | |
| ☐ | Written statement signed and returned |
Part 4: End of probation review
| ✓ | Item | Done by / date |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Probation review meeting held and notes kept | |
| ☐ | Further training booked (e.g. Level 2 food hygiene, personal licence) | |
| ☐ | Training record up to date |
What the law actually requires
An induction is good practice, but several items above are legal requirements in their own right:
- Right to work check before employment starts, for everyone (UK-wide).
- Written statement of terms on the first day, for employees and workers (Great Britain).
- Health and safety instruction, information, training and supervision. HSE says new recruits and young workers need particular attention.
- Fire safety information, instruction and training (England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire rules).
- Food hygiene: food handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene to a level that matches their work. A certificate isn't a legal requirement, but you need to show training happened. The FSA says staff who handle food should be trained before they start.
- Alcohol sales: in England and Wales, staff without a personal licence must be authorised by a personal licence holder to sell alcohol. In Scotland, staff who sell or serve alcohol must have completed at least two hours of prescribed training first, and a training record must be kept on the premises.
- Minimum wage for induction and training time.
Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in places, as noted above.
This template is general information, not legal advice: for a specific case, speak to Acas or an employment adviser.
Common induction mistakes
- Letting someone start before the right to work check.
- Unpaid "trial" or induction hours.
- Leaving allergens until "when it's quieter".
- No record: if it isn't written down, you can't show it happened.
- One induction for everyone: a kitchen porter and a bar supervisor need different sign-offs. Make a version per role.
Or let ShiftComplete run it for you
You can build this induction as a checklist in ShiftComplete. Add Part 1 and Part 3 items as one-off priority tasks for the new starter's manager or buddy. Every tick is named and timestamped, with optional or required photo evidence (a photo of a completed course certificate, for instance), so you've got a dated record without a box file.
New starters see their rota on their phone under "My rota", set their availability weeks ahead, and get team announcements in one place instead of a WhatsApp group. The allergen matrix is searchable from the floor, so "where's the allergen info?" has one answer. Temperature logs and opening and closing checklists show them the routine from shift one. If you switch on clocking in and out, their induction hours are recorded against the rota like any other shift.
£1.49 per staff member per month, every feature included, free for 60 days with no card needed. Book a free 15-minute set-up call if you'd like a hand building your induction checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What should a hospitality induction include?
At minimum: a right to work check before they start, a written statement of terms on day one, fire safety and health and safety instruction, food hygiene and allergen training before they handle food, how alcohol sales and age checks work if you're licensed, and who to go to with a problem. Then a planned first shift and sign-offs during the first week.
Is a staff induction a legal requirement?
There's no single law called induction, but several things you'd cover in one are required: right to work checks before employment starts, a written statement on day one, health and safety and fire safety information and training, and food hygiene supervision and training matched to the job. An induction is the easiest way to do them all and prove it.
Should I pay staff for induction?
Yes. Training is working time, and GOV.UK is clear that staff must get at least the minimum wage for it. That includes induction shifts, online courses you require them to complete and staff briefings. Put induction time on the rota so it's paid like any other shift.
How long should induction take in a pub or restaurant?
Do the legal checks before day one, cover safety essentials in the first hour of the first shift, and spread the rest over the first one to two weeks. People forget most of what they're told on a busy first shift, so short sessions with a named buddy and sign-offs work better than one long talk.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Check a job applicant's right to work
- GOV.UK: Written statement of employment particulars
- HSE: Health and safety training
- GOV.UK: Fire safety in the workplace, your responsibilities
- Food safety, your responsibilities: training (GOV.UK)
- FSA: Fitness to work
- GOV.UK: Alcohol licensing
- GOV.UK: Working hours for which the minimum wage must be paid
- The Pensions Regulator: Assessing the workforce
Checked 24 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.