Appointment letters for everyone, including family
An appointment letter is due to every employee under the OSH Code. In family businesses the letter is often missing for long-serving staff and for relatives on the payroll. Issue one to every new joiner on the first day, and use a quiet month to issue letters to existing staff as well. The letter states the role, salary, working hours, weekly off, probation and notice, and settles questions before they turn into disputes.
Documents once, in the joiner's language
Share the self-onboarding QR code or link, which works in English, Hindi and Gujarati, so a joiner in Surat or Kanpur can enter personal and family details, address, bank account, education and past jobs on a phone and upload documents. HR, which may simply be the accountant, checks each submission and asks for changes if a photo is unreadable. Approval creates the employee record, and the paper file becomes optional.
- Aadhaar and PAN
- Bank passbook or cancelled cheque
- Two recent passport-size photographs
- Previous UAN and ESI number, if any
- Nominee details for PF and ESI
- Driving licence for drivers
Induction when there is no HR team
Nobody runs an induction programme in a 30-person business, but the first week still shapes the next five years. Name one senior person to show the joiner around, explain timings, breaks, safety rules and whom to ask for leave, and check in at the end of the week. For machine operators, the supervisor signs off that the person can run the machine safely before they work alone.
Probation that ends on a date
Probation in small businesses often never formally ends, which leaves people unsure of where they stand. Set a probation period of three or six months, let the system remind the supervisor and HR before it ends, and record a decision: a confirmation letter, an extension with the reason written down, or parting ways. Confirmed staff notice the difference, and it costs the business nothing.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Set the onboarding document checklist: Aadhaar, PAN, bank proof, photographs, previous UAN and ESI numbers, and a driving licence for drivers.
- Send each joiner the self-onboarding QR code or link in Hindi, Gujarati or English; approving a submission creates the employee record.
- Hold an appointment letter template in the HR letter library, and upload each signed letter to that employee's documents.
- Record nominee details on each employee's profile for PF and ESI purposes.
- Fix probation length per employment type and the reminder days in the work terms policy, so confirmations are not forgotten.
Read more about onboarding in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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Is an appointment letter mandatory for small businesses?
For employers covered by the OSH Code, yes: it requires an appointment letter for every employee. Even where coverage is in doubt, a letter stating the role, salary, hours, weekly off, probation and notice prevents disputes. Issue letters to existing staff who never received one, relatives on the payroll included.
What documents should a small business collect from new employees?
Aadhaar, PAN, bank account proof, photographs, education and experience certificates where relevant, the previous UAN and ESI number if the person had them, nominee details and a driving licence for drivers. Collect them before the first day through a self-onboarding link to avoid chasing paper later.
How long should probation be in an SME?
Three months for helpers and operators and six months for supervisors and office staff is a common pattern. More important than the length is that probation ends: record a confirmation, an extension with a reason or a separation, and tell the employee in writing.