Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Scheduling
No. University Human Resources will be closed from Monday, December 25, 2017 through Friday, January 5, 2018 in observance of winter closure. The final Welcome Center date for 2017 is Monday, December 18th. The first Welcome Center in 2018 will be held on Monday, January 8th. To enroll participants in the January 8, 2018 Welcome Center session please follow the instructions below:
Any new staff classified as Academic Staff (A), Other Teaching Titles (O) or Non-Academic Staff (N) are eligible to attend the Welcome Center within 5 business days of their start date. For example, if the new staff is hired on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, they are still eligible to attend the next scheduled Welcome Center. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate any new hires wanting to attend orientation prior to their start dates.
Contact us at welcome-to-stanford@stanford.edu to be granted an exception for these situations out side of these circumstances. Important: You must complete the I-9 within three business days of the work start date, regardless of work location.
For those new hires working an alternative schedule, set the new hire’s schedule to begin on a Monday for the first week only. That will enable the Welcome Center to take care of all employee requirements. Note: The employee MUST be hired in PeopleSoft by the Thursday prior and have an effective start date of that Monday to attend.
On the rare occasion a new employee is hired but immediately occupied by offsite work duties or business travel, she may be eligible to attend the Welcome Center, if:
- She attends the Welcome Center on her first day on site, AND
- Training, operational items and systems set-up have not been completed
If you believe you have a new hire who meets these qualifications you must contact us at welcome-to-stanford@stanford.edu to be granted an exception. Important: You must complete the I-9 within three business days of the work start date, regardless of work location.
Attendance
Any new benefits-eligible staff classified as Academic Staff (A), Other Teaching Titles (O) or Non-Academic Staff (N), including Bargaining Unit employees are eligible to be enrolled and attend the Welcome Center.
At this time, the Welcome Center does not serve faculty, post-docs or temp/casual employees.
Any new hires with a break in service of one year or more should be enrolled in the Welcome Center. Since the Welcome Center is not mandatory, feel free to ask the employee if they would like to attend. New hires rejoining the university within one year do not normally need to attend. For rehires within one year, please be sure they are up to date in all trainings and systems, complete an I-9, and review updated Benefits information.
Yes. Although these new hires come in with more knowledge of the culture and community, they still need to be set up operationally (e.g. staff ID card, P&TS and compliance training). Additionally, in the morning portion they receive an introduction to Stanford benefits, which will be different from their previous affiliation. They will also be eligible to enjoy additional benefits that include STAP and STRP, BeWell, childcare/adoption grants, and more.
The Welcome Center takes care of several transactional and operational items in the onboarding process, and introduces new staff hires to many of the resources and benefits available to them as a Stanford employee. Still, the hiring manager and the local HR Team plays an important role in the successful onboarding experience for new hires.
If your new hire is not able to attend the Welcome Center, they must be provided with thorough onboarding by their hiring manager and local HR Team. Access this Onboarding Table to learn more about your onboarding responsibilities.
