Onboarding is a shared process — not an either/or. Build a simple "who handles what" matrix before day one: the agency owns employment paperwork, you own role orientation, systems access, and culture.
California AB5 and co-employment doctrine require clarity on supervision and control. If your managers are directing daily work, the classification picture may be more complicated than the contract suggests.
CCPA adds a data layer: even non-employees generating work product on your systems may have rights to that data. Know your exposure before you provision access.
Is equipment shipped and configured before day one, or does the new hire spend their first day waiting?
Who is the designated human point of contact for a remote new hire when something breaks or they feel lost?
How does culture transmission happen without physical proximity?
California applies the ABC test (AB5) for contractor classification — presumption is employment unless all three prongs are met. Confirm status with counsel before onboarding begins, not after.
Is there a signed statement of work executed before they begin? Onboarding without a signed SOW is a compliance exposure.
What access are they granted, and is it time-bounded and documented? CCPA obligations may apply depending on what data they touch.
California follows the FLSA primary beneficiary test for unpaid internships — and enforcement is active. When in doubt, pay them.
Is there a defined learning plan, or will the intern spend eight weeks doing ad hoc tasks?
Who is responsible for their experience? A named supervisor, not a department.
Does your HRIS treat a rehire as a new record or reconnect to the prior record? Data integrity matters here.
Is a full onboarding cycle warranted, or does the person need a targeted re-entry focused only on what has changed?
Were the circumstances of the original departure reviewed before extending the offer?
The person exists in all systems — but does the new manager know what role-specific onboarding still needs to happen?
Are compensation, title, and benefits changes reflected and communicated before the transfer effective date?
Is there a defined handoff period, or does the prior team lose coverage on day one?
Who owns the executive onboarding experience? HR, the CEO, the board? Assign it explicitly.
Is there a structured stakeholder introduction plan, or are they expected to self-navigate?
What is the timeline to full operational authority, and is it documented?
Is immigration counsel engaged, and is the start date contingent on confirmed authorization status — not an assumption?
I-9 verification is governed by federal law and the rules apply uniformly in California. E-Verify is not mandated statewide but may be required on federal contracts — confirm before any rollout.
Is there a contingency plan if authorization is delayed? The offer letter should address this explicitly.
Are these employees being fully integrated or operating under a transition services agreement? The onboarding approach differs for each.
California's WARN Act has lower thresholds than federal — 75 employees vs. 100. If the transaction involves any workforce reduction, legal review is not optional.
Is there a cultural integration plan, or is assimilation assumed to happen organically?
Does your onboarding timeline assume full-time availability? If so, revise it — a prorated schedule is not optional.
California requires benefits eligibility disclosure in writing. Part-time thresholds vary by benefit type — confirm what applies and communicate it upfront.
In a job-share, who attends which onboarding sessions, and how is continuity maintained between the two?
Is there a documented rapid onboarding track, or does urgency mean someone just wings it?
What is the minimum viable onboarding — compliance, access, and a named point of contact — that must happen regardless of timeline?
Who has authority to compress the standard process, and how is that decision documented?