Your First Weeks and Months of Employment Checklist

WITHIN YOUR FIRST WEEK:

Meet with your supervisor to review and discuss:

• Your job description, essential duties and responsibilities, and how they fit into the work unit's objectives
• Your department's goals and mission
• Performance goals and expectations
• Training needs and key people you should meet
• Professional ethics and confidentiality practices, if applicable
• Review how to handle and report on-the-job accidents/injuries

Familiarize yourself with your department

• Learn more about your department's structure, administrative and operations procedures, manuals, and protocols by initiating conversations with your supervisor, peers, and by reviewing any other materials available in your area

Familiarize yourself with office processes

• Using campus services, as appropriate: telephones (e.g., voicemail, call forwarding, how to handle messages for others, etc.).
• Using the computer network (e.g., e-mail; the UM-St. Louis homepage, etc.)
• Using campus mail and U.S. mail processes for your department
• Using office equipment (computers, copiers, fax machines, etc.)
• Knowing the no-smoking policy in campus buildings
• Using the timesheet/timecard/report-of-absence forms and your reporting responsibilities, as well as the consequences of failure to report time appropriately
• Reviewing pay-dates, the direct deposit process, and what items are generally withheld from gross pay, so payday does not hold any surprises
• Knowing about expected work schedule, meal and break periods
• Knowing about overtime and shift expectations
• Requesting scheduled time off (personal, sick, or vacation time) and limits during the first six months of employment
• Requesting unscheduled time off (whom and when to call in; requirements to document need for absence)
• Reporting to work in cases of inclement weather
• Requesting to leave the job site during work hours
• Understanding the six-month probationary period, as well as how and when your performance will be evaluated
• Reviewing work-unit expectations about access to and use of department resources: Phones (e.g., no personal long distance calls), copiers, etc.

WITHIN YOUR FIRST MONTH:

• Enroll in benefits within the first 30 days from your benefit eligibility date or your date of hire.  If you have any questions, contact your Campus Benefits Representative, 516-5639.
• Review department-level work rules, how-to manuals, etc.

WITHIN YOUR FIRST SIX MONTHS:

• Regularly meet with your supervisor to set goals, review your performance and continue to seek his/her feedback.
• Identify learning and professional development opportunities.  Discuss with your supervisor what the appropriate opportunities may be.
• Get involved with the campus community.  Talk to your supervisor and coworkers about campus groups, publications and other professional activities and resources that are available that might be of interest to you.  There are organizations listed on this web site and on the University's web site, http://www.umsl.edu/