What to bring on your first day at a new job (and the paperwork to check)
5 minute read · 2026-10-08
On your first day bring proof of your right to work, your National Insurance number, your bank details, your P45 if you have one, and any licences or certificates the job needs. In return you should receive (or have already received) a written statement of your terms, and you should leave knowing when and how you will be paid. Getting this right on day one prevents most first payday problems.
What to bring
- Right to work proof: your passport (British or Irish), or a share code from GOV.UK if you have an eVisa or settled or pre settled status. Many employers check this before you start; if not, they must do it before your first shift. See what you need to work.
- National Insurance number: on a letter from HMRC, a payslip or the HMRC app.
- Bank details: sort code and account number in your own name. Be careful who you give them to: only to the employer, and only after you have an offer.
- Your P45 from your last job, if you had one. Hand over parts 2 and 3.
- Licences and cards: driving licence and Driver CPC card, CSCS card, SIA licence, forklift certificate, food hygiene certificate, whatever the advert listed.
- Emergency contact details, and your GP's details if the job asks.
- The right kit: ask in advance whether you need safety boots, black trousers or anything else. Lunch, water, and cash or a card for a canteen.
No P45? Use the starter checklist
If this is your first job, you have been out of work, or you have lost the P45, your employer will ask you to fill in HMRC's starter checklist. Answer the statements carefully: which one you tick decides your starting tax code. Tick wrongly and you may pay too much (or too little) tax until HMRC catches up. If you have another job at the same time, say so: your second job will usually be taxed on a BR code.
What you should receive
- A written statement of particulars, on or before your first day, under section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. It must cover pay, hours, holiday, notice, place of work, probation and more. Read it before you sign anything else.
- Health and safety induction: fire exits, first aid, how to report accidents, and training on any equipment before you use it.
- Your manager's name and who to call if you are sick or late.
If you are an agency worker, you should already have a key information document showing your pay and who pays you. Our paperwork pages show what good versions look like.
Three questions to ask on day one
- "When is the first payday, and does it cover all my hours so far?" Many employers pay in arrears, so your first pay may be later and smaller than you expect. Plan for it.
- "How do I record my hours?" Clocking in, a timesheet, an app. If your hours are wrong, your pay will be too.
- "What does the pension enrolment look like?" If you are 22 or over, under State Pension age and earn more than £10,000 a year, you will be enrolled automatically. You can opt out, but you would lose the employer contribution.
On your first payslip
Check the hourly rate, the hours, the tax code and the National Insurance. An emergency tax code (often shown with W1, M1 or X) is common in the first weeks and usually corrects itself, with any overpaid tax refunded through payroll. Our guide to your pay paperwork explains each line.
The rest of the first week
Paperwork done, what managers actually notice is punctuality, attitude and whether you ask questions. Our guide to the first week in a new job covers that part.
What to do next
- Put your documents in one folder (or one photo album on your phone) the night before.
- Read your written statement and keep a copy.
- Diary your first payday and check the payslip on the day.
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