Onboarding a new employee: the first 30 days plan
Monday, 7:02 a.m. Your new house cleaner showed up early, but her key isn't ready, her company shirt is stuck at the bottom of a box and her crew lead has already left for the first client. On Friday, she texts you that she found something else. That text can be prevented before the first morning. Here's an onboarding plan to adapt to your trade: before day 1, day 1, week 1 and day 30.
Why everything happens in the first month
A new hire doesn't commit the day they say yes. They commit during the first few weeks, while they check whether what you promised in the interview is true: the schedule, the rate, the equipment, the mood in the truck. In service trades, they often have other doors open.
The reasons people leave early come up again and again, and almost all of them can be fixed with a bit of organization:
- Nobody was really expecting them on the first morning.
- Equipment is missing: gloves, uniform, key, access to the crew's group chat.
- Expectations are vague: they don't know what a “good day” looks like.
- They're left alone too soon, or they spend three days watching without touching anything.
- The first pay is late, or short a few hours.
You spent weeks finding the right person. Losing them after ten days means starting over with the ad, the calls and the interviews. For the full recruiting strategy, read Recruiting through a labour shortage: a guide for small service businesses.
Do it today: think back to the last quick departure on your team. Which of the five points above played a part? That's where your plan starts.
Before day 1: everything is ready on the table
Day one gets prepared the week before. The principle is simple: on the morning the person arrives, they don't wait for anything or anyone. Here's the checklist:
- The first week's schedule, sent in writing: time, address, who to report to, where to park.
- Equipment ready and in their size: uniform, gloves, tools, key or door code.
- Access: the crew lead's number, the group chat, the dispatch app if you use one.
- The payroll file set up: rate confirmed in writing, direct deposit information, date of the first pay.
- The buddy chosen and told (more on that below).
Protective equipment isn't a courtesy. Québec's Act respecting occupational health and safety requires the employer to supply, free of charge, the individual protective means and equipment chosen by the health and safety committee or set by regulation, and to make sure the worker uses them (s. 51). Depending on the trade, think gloves for cleaning products, safety glasses for hedge trimming or safety boots for moving jobs. To find out what applies to your tasks, check with the CNESST.
And no, the oversized gloves left behind by last year's employee don't count. They're discouraging, and they slip on the shovel handle too.
Do it today: write the list of what your next hire needs in hand at 7 a.m. on the first morning, and put a name next to each line.
Day 1: a welcome, not just a tour of the truck
On the first day, the person mostly remembers one thing: were they expected? A simple schedule is enough, as long as someone sticks to it.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Arrival | Welcome by you or the crew lead, a coffee, a tour of the shop and vehicles. |
| First hour | Hand over the equipment, try on sizes, introduce the team. |
| Before the first client | The risks of the job and the safety rules, explained and shown on site. |
| Morning | Head out with the buddy: they watch, then do one simple task. |
| Noon | Lunch with the crew, not alone in their car. |
| End of day | Ten minutes with you and three questions. |
The safety moment isn't optional. Under the same section 51 of the Act respecting occupational health and safety, the employer must properly inform the worker about the risks related to their work and provide appropriate training, instruction and supervision. Cleaning products, ladders, heavy loads, traffic around a job site: show the moves, don't settle for a sheet to sign.
The three end-of-day questions: What was clear? What wasn't? Is anything missing for tomorrow?
Hired through GPP Emploi and the person doesn't show up on day one? Report it. If they confirm, the credits for that contact are refunded (up to 2 refunds per 90 days); if they dispute it, our team decides. The details are on the employer page.
Do it today: copy this table, adapt it to your trade and write down who's responsible for each moment.
Week 1: buddy shadowing that works
The buddy is the coworker who stays with the new hire during their first days. It isn't necessarily your best technician. It's the one who explains without sighing, welcomes questions and does things right when nobody's watching.
A week of shadowing in three stages:
- Days 1 and 2, “I'll show you”: the buddy does the work and explains why it's done that way.
- Days 3 and 4, “we do it together”: the new hire does part of the tasks, and the buddy corrects right away, on the spot.
- Day 5, “you do it, I watch”: they handle one full client while the buddy observes and gives three tips at the end.
Do: give the buddy time to do it right, even if it means a lighter route that week; ask for their opinion on Friday; recognize their effort in front of the crew.
Avoid: switching buddies every day; pairing the new hire with someone who's on their way out; sending the person alone to a client on day two because you're short-staffed.
If you need to fill a gap fast, move as quickly as you do with applicants: Responding to candidates fast: why 48 hours make all the difference explains why response times matter so much.
Do it today: pick the buddy for your next hire and ask whether they're on board. A buddy assigned against their will shows on the very first morning.
Pay on time: the trust test
Nothing sends a clearer message than a late first paycheque. The person has often just left another job; they're counting on that date for rent and groceries.
What Québec's Act respecting labour standards provides (s. 43): wages are paid at regular intervals of no more than 16 days, or one month for managers and certain other categories set out in the Act. For a new employee, the employer may pay wages within the month following their start date. It's allowed, but a month without pay is a long time when you've just started. The simplest approach: add the person to the regular pay cycle from their very first period.
The pay stub matters too. Section 46 of the same Act lists what it must show, where applicable, including:
- the payment date and the work period covered;
- the number of hours paid at the regular rate and the wage rate;
- overtime hours paid or replaced by time off, with the premium;
- gross wages, the nature and amount of deductions, and net wages.
Reminder: the general minimum wage has been $16.60 an hour since May 1, 2026. For overtime, breaks and statutory holidays, keep Labour standards in 10 points for the service trades handy.
Do it today: check the first pay date for your next hire and put it in the confirmation email. Then review the first pay stub before it goes out.
Day 30: the meeting that confirms (or corrects)
After one month, take 30 minutes, sitting down, somewhere quiet. Not in the truck between two clients, not on the phone. This is when you check whether what was promised is being delivered, on both sides.
Questions to ask:
- Does the job look like what we described in the interview?
- What helped you most? What was missing?
- Do you feel ready to handle a client on your own? Which ones still stress you out?
And what you need to say: two things that are going well, one thing to improve, with a concrete example and the support you'll provide.
One legal benchmark to know: under Québec's Act respecting labour standards (s. 82.1), the written notice of termination required by section 82 doesn't apply to an employee with less than three months of continuous service. That's no reason to wait until day 89 to talk. Day 30 gives you time to course-correct. For a specific situation, check with the CNESST.
If day 30 shows you need another person as backup, the GPP Emploi profile bank can be filtered by trade, region and “available now,” and you only pay when a contact is accepted. To get started, create your employer account.
Do it today: book the day-30 meeting in your calendar as soon as you know the start date. What isn't on the calendar doesn't happen.
The bottom line
Print the plan, put a name next to every step and book the day-30 meeting before the first morning even arrives. Someone who feels expected on day one has every reason to come back on day two.
Frequently asked questions
When do you have to pay a new employee for the first time in Quebec?
Under section 43 of the Act respecting labour standards, wages are paid at regular intervals of no more than 16 days, or one month for managers and certain categories set out in the Act. For a new employee, the employer may pay wages within the month following their start date. Adding them to the regular pay cycle from the first period is more reassuring.
Does the employer have to provide protective equipment to a new employee?
Yes. The Act respecting occupational health and safety requires the employer to supply, free of charge, the individual protective means and equipment chosen by the health and safety committee or set by regulation, and to make sure they're used. The employer must also inform the worker about the risks and provide appropriate training and supervision. The CNESST can tell you what applies to your tasks.
Do you have to give notice to end employment during the first three months?
Under section 82.1 of the Act respecting labour standards, the written notice of termination doesn't apply to an employee with less than three months of continuous service. Other rules may still apply depending on the situation or the contract. For a specific case, check with the CNESST.
What is buddy shadowing for a new employee?
It means pairing the new hire with an experienced coworker for their first days. The buddy shows the tasks, does them together with the new person, then watches them work alone before letting them go to a client on their own. Choose someone patient who agrees to take on the role.
