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Induction versus onboarding
The terms get used interchangeably, but they are different in scope and in legal weight. Induction is the first-day safety and orientation event. Onboarding is the whole first-90-days process, of which induction is the opening step.
The distinction matters because induction carries a WHS duty. Onboarding is good practice; induction is, in substantial part, a legal obligation.
The WHS duty
Under Australian work health and safety law, a person conducting a business or undertaking must provide the information, training, instruction and supervision necessary to protect workers from risk. For a new worker that duty lands squarely on induction, and it applies from the first shift — not after probation.
A workable induction covers:
- Site-specific hazards and how they are controlled
- Emergency procedures, exits and assembly points
- First aid arrangements and who the first aiders are
- Incident and hazard reporting — how, and to whom
- Personal protective equipment, where required
- Who to ask when unsure, named explicitly
Record that it happened and that the worker acknowledged it. An induction you cannot evidence is difficult to rely on afterwards.
The parts that are not about safety
Beyond the WHS core, an induction that actually works also covers the practical questions every new starter has and rarely asks:
- How the roster is published and how to request a change
- How to record hours, and what to do about a missed clock-in
- Break entitlements for their shift pattern
- Who their direct manager is, and how to reach them
- When they get paid, and how to read the payslip
Most 90-day turnover in shift work traces back to one of those five going unanswered.
Key takeaways
- Induction is the first-day event; onboarding is the whole first-90-days process
- Induction carries a WHS duty and applies from the first shift
- Cover hazards, emergencies, first aid, reporting, PPE and who to ask
- Record completion — an induction you cannot evidence is hard to rely on
RosterElf tracks induction completion against each new starter, so nobody reaches their first shift with an unfinished checklist.
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