A Complete Guide to Compliant Onboarding for NDIS Providers

New hires do their best work when onboarding is clear, compliant, and simple. In this article, I will walk through a practical onboarding framework for Australian employers, highlight the payroll items that trip teams up most often, and show how to manage the whole process inside Pay Cat payroll and the Employment Hero Work App.

Onboarding is not a one day induction. It is the structured process that helps a new starter feel welcome, understand how work gets done, and meet all legal and payroll requirements. When onboarding is planned, you improve productivity and retention and reduce the chance of employer regret.

Common Onboarding Challenges in NDIS and Care Organisations

Many NDIS providers still rely on manual onboarding steps or disconnected systems. This can lead to missing paperwork, incomplete super and tax forms, and delays in payroll setup. Others underestimate the importance of capturing Award-specific details such as time-in-lieu agreements or first-aid qualifications.

Addressing these gaps early makes the rest of the employee lifecycle of rostering, time tracking, and payroll - far more efficient.

Goals of good onboarding

• Welcome and orientation
• Compliance and payroll setup
• Clarity on role, hours, and expectations
• Faster time to productivity

Many onboarding checklists skip the payroll items. These need to be completed early so your employee is paid correctly from day one.

1) Collect and Lodge Mandatory Forms (TFN, Super and Fair Work)

• TFN declaration: Ensure the TFN declaration is completed and lodged electronically. Keep a record on the employee file.
• Super choice or stapled fund: Provide the super nomination form where relevant and check for a stapled super fund if the employee does not choose a fund. Pay contributions to the stapled fund to meet SG obligations.
• Fair Work forms: Provide the Fair Work Information Statement to all employees and the Casual Employment Information Statement to casuals.
  
  

📺 Watch the full Smarter Employee Onboarding Webinar here

2) Verify Work Rights and Required Qualifications

• Verify visa status using VEVO. Save evidence on file.
• Collect and store copies of required licences and certificates such as First Aid, Working With Children, or role specific clearances.
  
  

3) Set Up Award Agreements and Payroll Records Correctly

• Confirm written agreements where the Award requires them, such as time in lieu for overtime, span of hours, and part time patterns.
• Capture contracted hours, days of work, and start and end times.
• Keep accurate records in your payroll system or HRIS.
  
  

4) Get Written Consent for Biometric and Digital Attendance Systems

• If you use facial recognition or other biometric templates, obtain written consent and explain what is collected, where it is stored, and how it is used.
  
  

Pay Cat is built on Employment Hero Payroll and includes SCHADS automation plus implementation support for NDIS providers. You can manage every step of onboarding in one place and push what employees need straight to the Employment Hero Work App at no additional cost.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up Onboarding in Pay Cat Payroll

1. Start onboarding: Create the employee in Pay Cat and send the onboarding request.
   
   
2. Employee completes their section: Personal details, emergency contact, bank, TFN, and super. Stapled fund checks are handled in the flow.
   
   
3. Employer completes payroll settings: Assign classification, pay category, pay schedule, and Award profile.
   
   
4. Send documents and collect qualifications: Upload contracts and policies. Request and record licences and certifications.
   
   
5. Time and attendance ready: The Employment Hero Work App gives employees access to timesheets, leave, and rosters at no extra cost.

Getting leave right at onboarding prevents rework during the first pay run. Inside Pay Cat you can:

• Let employees request leave in the Work App
• Approve leave in the manager dashboard
• Apply leave to timesheets for shift workers so the system compares leave loading with shift penalties and pays the higher amount where applicable

📺 We've got a full webinar on how to manage all types of Leave. Watch it here.

Rostering and time solutions like ShiftCare, Deputy, and NoahFace work with Pay Cat.

• ShiftCare: Employee records and qualifications flow from Pay Cat.
• Deputy: Export timesheets from Deputy and import to Pay Cat for Award interpretation.
• NoahFace: Clock in and clock out data flows into Pay Cat for payroll.

Use this as a quick-start list you can adapt for your team.

Before day one

• Offer letter and contract sent for e-sign
• VEVO check completed and evidence saved
• Licences and certificates requested
• Part time pattern agreed in writing if applicable
• Policies shared and acknowledged

Day one to week one

• TFN declaration lodged
• Super nomination captured or stapled fund confirmed
• Fair Work Information Statement provided
• Casual Information Statement provided to casuals
• Work App installed and login details sent
• Roster visibility and time capture tested
  
  

Week one to month one

• Qualifications and expiry dates recorded
• Leave balances and accrual rules confirmed
• TIL or overtime approach documented
• Reporting set up for employee records
• Manager and payroll contact points confirmed
  
  

Who is Pay Cat?

SCHADS payroll is complex, from sleepovers to broken shifts, but it does not have to be. Pay Cat is the only provider of a 100% compliant SCHADS payroll template, built to automate award interpretation, reduce errors, and save hours every pay run.

We do not just hand over software. Our team delivers a fully implemented solution backed by compliance experts, so you can stay focused on care, not payroll.

Is Pay Cat the same as Employment Hero Payroll or KeyPay?
Pay Cat is built on Employment Hero Payroll, which used to be called KeyPay. All core functionality is the same. Pay Cat adds SCHADS payroll automation, configuration support, and industry expertise.

Do we still need paper TFN and super forms?
No. When onboarding is completed electronically in Pay Cat, TFN and super details are captured and lodged. Records are stored on the employee file.

How do stapled super funds work during onboarding?
If a new hire does not choose a fund, check for a stapled fund and pay super contributions to that fund to meet SG obligations. The onboarding flow supports this check.

Do casuals also need the Fair Work statement?
Yes. Provide the Fair Work Information Statement to all employees and the Casual Employment Information Statement to casual employees.

Do we need to verify work rights?
Yes. Conduct a VEVO check for visa holders and keep evidence on file as part of onboarding.

What licences or qualifications should we capture?
Collect copies of required qualifications and clearances such as First Aid or Working With Children and record expiry dates in the employee file.

Can we use biometrics for time and attendance?
Yes, if you obtain written consent. Explain what is collected, where it is stored, and how it will be used before enrolment.

Does Pay Cat software include rostering?
Yes. Pay Cat includes rostering. You can also integrate with systems like ShiftCare, Deputy, Brevity, and NoahFace.

How does Pay Cat work with ShiftCare?
Employee records and qualifications flow from Pay Cat to ShiftCare. General documents do not transfer. Timesheets and rosters still work via the ShiftCare integration. See more about how Pay Cat and ShiftCare integrate.

How does Pay Cat work with Deputy?
Export timesheets from Deputy and import them into Pay Cat. Award interpretation then runs in Pay Cat for payroll.

Does Pay Cat integrate with NoahFace?
Yes. Employees clock in and out with NoahFace and those times flow into Pay Cat for payroll.

Can employees use their phone to clock in and view rosters?
Yes. The Employment Hero Work App lets employees clock in and out, submit leave requests, and view rostered shifts. Building rosters is done in the web dashboard.

Is the Employment Hero Work App included with Pay Cat?
Yes. The Work App is included for all employees and managers at no additional cost.

Staff cannot log in. What should we do?
Most issues are resolved with a password reset and the correct login link. Send a short email with the reset steps and the right URL. Training may also help if staff have not logged in for a while. Contact us if you still have issues. support@paycat.com.au

Can we run reports for TFN, bank details, and other employee data?
Yes. Use employee detail reports to select the fields you need, then export.

How do we apply leave so it calculates correctly?
Approve the leave, then apply it to the employee’s timesheet for the relevant dates. The system will compare leave loading with any shift penalties and pay the higher amount.

Does leave flow into the pay run automatically?
Yes. Once approved, leave flows into the pay run. For shift workers, apply the leave to timesheets so higher of calculations work as intended.

Can we split a day between work and leave?
Yes. Submit a partial-day leave request for the number of hours taken, and record worked hours for the rest.

Can we add shift notes in the built-in rostering?
You can add small notes, but it does not support full shift notes. Many teams use a rostering tool alongside Pay Cat if they need richer shift notes.