Guide for Ireland
Staff induction checklist for Irish pubs, restaurants and cafés
5-star reviews on TrustpilotA good induction in an Irish hospitality business covers the law and the job. Before or on day one: collect the PPS number and register the employment with Revenue before the first payday. Within 5 days: give the Day 5 Statement of core terms in writing, including the tips policy. On day one: walk through the safety statement, fire exits, food safety and allergens. In the first month: the full written statement of terms and Level 1 food safety skills. Copy the checklist below and tick it off for every new starter.
On this page
New starters in hospitality often get the worst induction in any industry: "here's an apron, watch Ciara for an hour." Then they're on the floor for a Saturday night. It's understandable, but it's also when people get hurt, allergen questions get guessed, and the paperwork you're legally required to give them within five days gets forgotten.
This checklist puts the legal steps and the practical ones in the order they happen. Copy it into a document, print one per new starter, and keep the signed copy on their file.
Before day one
| Task | Done | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Offer confirmed in writing: role, start date, pay, expected hours | ☐ | |
| PPS number requested (7 numbers and one or two letters) | ☐ | |
| Revenue: employment registered and Revenue Payroll Notification requested before first payday | ☐ | |
| If it's their first job in Ireland: ask them to register the job in myAccount first | ☐ | |
| Date of birth noted; under-18s added to your register of young workers | ☐ | |
| First week's roster published with their shifts | ☐ | |
| Uniform, locker, staff app login ready | ☐ |
Revenue says you must register all new employees, unless it's their first job or first job in Ireland, by requesting a Revenue Payroll Notification with the correct start date before their first payday. Without a PPS number, no RPN is available and emergency tax can apply. If someone is working in Ireland for the first time, they register the employment through myAccount, then you request the RPN.
If you haven't hired before, register as an employer with Revenue first, before you pay anyone.
Day one
Paperwork
| Task | Done |
|---|---|
| Day 5 Statement of core terms given in writing (or diarised for within 5 days) | ☐ |
| Tips and service charge policy given, and shown where it's displayed | ☐ |
| Emergency contact details taken | ☐ |
| Bank details for pay taken | ☐ |
| Clocking in and out explained, if you use it | ☐ |
Safety
| Task | Done |
|---|---|
| Safety statement walked through, in a language they understand | ☐ |
| Fire exits, assembly point, alarm and extinguishers shown | ☐ |
| First aid kit and first aiders on each shift pointed out | ☐ |
| How to report an accident, near miss or hazard | ☐ |
| Manual handling: kegs, crates, deliveries, safe lifting | ☐ |
| Cellar and hatch rules (bar staff) | ☐ |
| Knives, slicers, fryers, hot surfaces (kitchen staff) | ☐ |
| Chemicals: where they're kept, dilution, gloves | ☐ |
| Slips: spill procedure and footwear | ☐ |
| Late closing and cash handling security | ☐ |
Food safety and allergens
| Task | Done |
|---|---|
| Hand washing: where, when, how | ☐ |
| Illness reporting: tell the manager before a shift if they have vomiting, diarrhoea or other symptoms | ☐ |
| Fridge and hot-hold temperatures and how to log them | ☐ |
| Cleaning schedule and opening/closing checks | ☐ |
| Allergens: where the written allergen information is, how to answer questions | ☐ |
| Never guess an allergen: ask the chef or manager | ☐ |
The job and the roster
| Task | Done |
|---|---|
| Introduced to the team and the manager they report to | ☐ |
| Roster explained: where it's published, how far ahead, how to swap | ☐ |
| Availability and holiday requests: how to submit them | ☐ |
| Breaks explained (15 minutes after 4.5 hours, 30 minutes after 6 hours) | ☐ |
| Under-18s: age-related limits on hours and serving alcohol explained | ☐ |
| Licensing: closing times, ID checks, refusing drunk customers (bar staff) | ☐ |
| Till, card machine and cash-up basics | ☐ |
Within 5 days and within one month
| Deadline | Task | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Day 5 | Day 5 Statement of core terms given in writing | ☐ |
| Month 1 | Full written statement of terms given | ☐ |
| Month 1 | Level 1 food safety skills shown and recorded | ☐ |
| Month 1 | Induction review: questions, feedback, roster working for them? | ☐ |
| Month 3 to 12 | Level 2 food safety skills (food handlers) | ☐ |
| Probation end | Probation review meeting held and recorded | ☐ |
Signed (employee): ____________ Signed (manager): ____________ Date: ________
The legal parts explained
The Day 5 Statement and the full statement
Under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994, as amended, the WRC says each new employee must be told in writing within 5 days of starting (the Day 5 Statement) of these core terms:
- the full names of employer and employee, and the employer's address
- the place of work (or that they work at various places)
- the job title or a brief description of the work
- the start date, and any probation period and its conditions
- the expected duration if the contract is temporary, or the end date if fixed-term
- pay, including the basic amount, any other elements, how often and how it's paid, and the pay reference period
- the hours you reasonably expect them to work per normal day and per normal week, and any terms on hours of work, including overtime
- your policy on how tips, gratuities and mandatory charges are treated
The full written statement of terms, covering things like paid leave, sick pay terms, pensions and notice, is due within one month. See our guide to the 5-day statement.
Tips
Under the Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Act 2022, your tips policy must be displayed in the premises and online, electronic tips and service charges must be distributed fairly, tips can't count towards contractual pay, and staff get a statement of tips for each pay period. A new starter should know how tips work before their first shift, not after the first argument. See the Tips Act guide.
Pay
The national minimum wage is €14.15 an hour from 1 January 2026 for workers aged 20 and over, with reduced rates for those under 20: €9.91 under 18, €11.32 at 18 and €12.74 at 19. Check the rate against their date of birth on day one.
Safety statement
Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires you to bring the safety statement to the attention of new employees when they start, in a form and language they can understand. A signature on the induction sheet is your proof. See safety statements and risk assessments.
Food safety training
The FSAI says food handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene in line with their work. Its Guide to Food Safety Skills sets Level 1 skills for the first month and Level 2 for 3 to 12 months. Record what you covered and when; an EHO will ask.
Allergens
Allergen information for non-prepacked food has to be available in writing before the customer orders. Staff don't need to memorise the matrix, but they must know where it is and must never guess.
Records the WRC can inspect
The WRC can inspect hours of work with start and finish times, breaks and rest periods, terms of employment, payslips, a register of under-18s, and annual leave and public holiday records. Setting these up properly at induction is far easier than rebuilding them later. See WRC inspections.
How to use this checklist
- Do the "before day one" section when the offer is accepted.
- Book induction into the roster as a real shift, not a shadow shift squeezed into service.
- Split it over two or three shifts if needed: safety and allergens on day one, the rest within the week.
- Have both of you sign it and keep it on file.
- Use the 5-day and one-month lines as diary reminders.
Or let ShiftComplete carry the routine
ShiftComplete puts the day-to-day part of induction in one place. New staff get a login, see "My rota" on their phone, set their availability and request holidays. Clocking in and out (a setting you switch on) records start and finish times against the roster. The allergen list is searchable from the floor, checklists show them exactly what to do at open and close, and team announcements keep them in the loop. Risk assessments are kept in the app, so the induction walk-through has the real documents to hand.
It's €1.99 per active staff member per month, free for 60 days with no card and no contract. If you'd like help setting it up, book a free set-up call.
Frequently asked questions
What paperwork does a new hospitality employee need in Ireland?
Within 5 days of starting, a written Day 5 Statement of core terms: names, employer address, place of work, job title, start date, probation, expected duration if temporary, pay and pay reference period, expected daily and weekly hours, overtime terms, and your tips and service charge policy. The full written statement follows within one month. You also need their PPS number to register the employment with Revenue before their first payday.
Does a new employee have to see the safety statement?
Yes. Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 says the safety statement must be brought to the attention of newly recruited employees when they start, in a form and language they're reasonably likely to understand. Walking them through the parts that affect their job, such as fire exits, manual handling and accident reporting, is the practical way to do it.
How soon must new kitchen staff be trained in food safety?
Food handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene in line with their work. The FSAI's Guide to Food Safety Skills says Level 1 skills should be shown within the first month of employment, and Level 2 within 3 to 12 months. You don't have to use an external course: you can train staff yourself using the guide and record it.
What breaks are new staff entitled to in Ireland?
Under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, staff are entitled to 15 minutes after more than 4.5 hours worked and 30 minutes after more than 6 hours, which can include the first 15. Breaks can't be tacked on at the end of the day and don't have to be paid. Staff also get 11 consecutive hours' rest in each 24 hours.
Sources
- Terms of employment: Workplace Relations Commission
- Tips and gratuities: Workplace Relations Commission
- Statutory employment records: Workplace Relations Commission
- Working hours: Workplace Relations Commission
- Commencing and ceasing employees: Revenue
- Registration of employers for PAYE: Revenue
- Personal Public Service (PPS) number: Citizens Information
- Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, section 20 (safety statement)
- Training: first steps, FSAI
- Labelling: allergens, FSAI
- Minimum wage: Citizens Information
- Alcohol and the law: Citizens Information
Checked 28 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.