Nothing touches food before the fitness certificate
Put the medical fitness certificate on the onboarding document checklist for every food handler: cooks, stewards who plate or serve, dishwashers and QSR crew. The joiner uploads it through the self-onboarding link along with ID, address proof, PAN, bank details and education, and HR verifies it with the certificate date and expiry. Kitchens keep these certificates because food safety audits and FSSAI licence conditions look for them, so check what your licence conditions specify. Until the certificate is verified, the joiner can do orientation and paperwork but not food preparation. The OSH Code also requires an appointment letter for every employee, so hand it over on the first day with the uniform.
Day one: hygiene, safety and the station
The first day in a restaurant should put safety before speed. After the hygiene and safety walk-through, pair the joiner with a buddy on their station for the first week of services: a commis with the chef de partie on the Indian section, a steward with a captain on the floor. Ask the buddy to sign off each skill at the end of the week, so the restaurant manager knows when the joiner can hold a section alone.
- Handwashing, hair nets, nails, jewellery and illness reporting
- Allergen awareness and how the kitchen labels allergens
- Knife handling, burns first aid and the gas shut-off valve
- First in, first out for stores, and date labels on prepared food
- Uniform, locker, staff entry and the punch point
- Order taking and billing basics for floor staff
Staff from other states
Many cooks and stewards join from other states and live in accommodation the outlet arranges. The self-onboarding form, which a joiner can fill in English, Hindi or Gujarati, captures family details and a home address; add a local address and an emergency contact in their home state to your checklist, and keep a copy of any accommodation allotment in their documents. Where your city asks for police verification of staff or tenants, start it in the first week. Nominees can be added in the mobile app, and for a young cook living far from family, that matters early.
Probation that includes a Saturday night
Judge probation on real service. A commis or steward needs about three months to show they can hold pace on a full Saturday, and a chef de partie or captain about six, across a festival weekend or two. In ZeniaHR the months come from the employee's type of employment. As the end date nears, the probation queue lists the cases with overdue ones first, and the restaurant manager gives a 1 to 5 rating and a written comment from My Team. A manager who is unsure should extend, with the reason recorded, rather than confirm by default; a confirmation saves its letter to the joiner's documents.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Put the medical fitness certificate on the onboarding document checklist for food handlers, next to ID, address, PAN, bank and education proofs.
- Send each joiner the company's self-onboarding QR code before day one, then review and approve the submission.
- Verify the fitness certificate in Employee Documents with its expiry date before the joiner starts food preparation.
- Print the appointment letter from its template in the HR letter library on day one and file it in the employee's documents.
- Enrol joiners in hygiene, allergen and fire safety programs in Learning in their first week.
- Set probation months per employment type in the work terms policy and make a manager review compulsory before confirmation.
Read more about onboarding in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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What documents does a restaurant need from a new cook?
Identity and address proof, PAN, bank details, a photo, education or training certificates, a relieving letter if they worked elsewhere, and a current medical fitness certificate before they handle food. Collect a local address and an emergency contact for staff from other states. Issue an appointment letter on joining, as the OSH Code requires for every employee.
How long is probation for restaurant staff?
Three months is common for commis, stewards and crew, and six months for chefs de partie, captains and managers. Rate probation on real service: speed on a full weekend, hygiene habits and teamwork. Confirm or extend on time, and record the reason if you extend, so the employee knows what to improve.
What should restaurant induction training cover?
Hygiene and illness reporting, allergens, knife and burn safety, gas and fire safety, first in first out and labelling, uniform and grooming, the punch point and staff entry, and the billing or order system for floor staff. Pair each joiner with a buddy on their station for the first week of services, and sign off each skill as it is learnt.