Hiring an Employee in the UK: A Step-by-Step Checklist for Employers

Taking on your first employee, or simply hiring again after a break, means more than agreeing a start date. UK employers have a set of legal duties that start before the new starter's first day. Use this checklist to make sure nothing is missed.

Before the employee starts

1. Verify the employee's right to work in the UK. You must complete the check before employment begins. British and Irish citizens can show a passport, while most other people now prove their status online with an eVisa share code and their date of birth, which you check through the GOV.UK employer service. Keep a record of the check for the whole period of employment and for 2 years afterwards. See GOV.UK's guidance on checking a job applicant's right to work, and our article on common reasons right to work checks get delayed.
2. Check you will pay at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for the worker's age. The rates normally change every April, so review pay each year.
3. Get employers' liability insurance. Most employers are legally required to have it from the day they take someone on.
4. Register with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as an employer. You can register online before the first payday; it is needed to run payroll.

On or before the first day

1. Provide a written statement of employment particulars. Employees and workers are entitled to it from day one. It should cover, among other things, pay, working hours, holiday entitlement, notice periods and job title. GOV.UK lists what the written statement must include.
2. Collect the new starter's details for payroll (National Insurance number, bank details and their P45 or starter checklist).
3. Comply with UK health and safety laws. You have a legal responsibility to ensure the health, safety and welfare of your employees: assess workplace risks, provide any training and equipment needed, and if you have 5 or more employees, keep a written health and safety policy.

Running payroll

1. Set up a payroll system. Each time you pay the employee you deduct income tax and National Insurance contributions, pay employer's National Insurance where it applies, and report the payment to HMRC through Real Time Information (RTI) on or before payday.
2. Give the employee a payslip each time they are paid.
3. Pay statutory payments when they apply, such as Statutory Sick Pay, maternity and paternity pay. Since April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is payable from the first day of sickness.

Workplace pension (auto-enrolment)

1. Enrol employees in a workplace pension scheme. Your duties start from the employee's first day. You must automatically enrol staff who are aged between 22 and State Pension age and earn at least £10,000 a year (the current earnings trigger), and make employer contributions. Others can ask to join.
2. Declare your compliance with The Pensions Regulator. You must complete a declaration of compliance after setting up your scheme, even if you only have one employee. GOV.UK explains employers' workplace pension duties.

Ongoing obligations

1. Follow UK employment laws and regulations. This includes laws on discrimination, working time (including rest breaks and the 48-hour average weekly limit unless the worker opts out) and paid holiday of at least 5.6 weeks a year for full-time staff.
2. Handle requests properly. Employees can make a flexible working request from their first day in a job, and you must deal with it reasonably and decide within 2 months.
3. Keep employee records and personal data secure, in line with UK data protection law.
4. Keep up with reforms. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is being introduced in stages and changes rules on sick pay, family leave, unfair dismissal and more.

By following these steps, you will be complying with UK regulations and providing your employees with the necessary legal protections and benefits. For a full overview, see GOV.UK's guide to employing staff for the first time.