New hire welcome email templates: what to send between acceptance and the first day

A new hire welcome email is the message an employer sends between offer acceptance and the first day, telling the person when and where to arrive (or how to log in), who will meet them, what the first day and week look like, what to complete in advance and what to bring. In the US, "what to bring" includes Form I-9 documents: original, unexpired documents the employee chooses from the Lists of Acceptable Documents, because USCIS says "you cannot specify which documentation an employee will present" (USCIS M-274, as of October 2026). Most employers send two messages: a short personal note from the manager soon after acceptance, and an HR logistics email about one to two weeks before the start.

This page has five copy-ready emails with [bracketed] fields: the HR welcome, the manager's note, a remote-start version, the first-week schedule and a day-before reminder, plus the I-9 timing that shapes them. The email that tells the team someone is joining is a different message; see the new hire announcement email. Agency temps starting an assignment get a temp assignment confirmation instead.

What should a welcome email to a new employee include?

• Start details: date, time with time zone, address and entrance, or the login and video link for remote starts.
• Who meets them: name, role and phone number for the first morning.
• The first day and week: a short schedule, including when they will meet their manager.
• What to do before day one: forms in the onboarding portal, with a deadline that respects the law (see the I-9 section below).
• What to bring: I-9 documents of their choice, bank details through a secure portal rather than email, anything the role needs.
• Practicalities: parking or transit, dress, lunch, building access, equipment.
• A person to ask: one contact for questions before the start.

When should each message go out?

The gap between acceptance and the first day is also when counteroffers land. A warm, specific note from the manager is one of the few things that helps; see how to handle a counteroffer after acceptance.

Template 1: the HR welcome email (in person)

Subject: Welcome to [Company], [First name]: your first day on [date]

Hi [First name],

We're glad you're joining us as [job title] on [day, date]. Here is
everything you need for your first day.

WHEN AND WHERE
[Time, time zone] at [address]. Use the [entrance] and ask reception
for [name, role]. [Parking / transit details.]

YOUR FIRST DAY
[09:00] Welcome and paperwork with [name]
[10:30] Equipment and accounts with [IT contact]
[12:00] Lunch with [manager / team], on us
[14:00] [First meeting]
Your full first-week schedule will come from [manager] on [date].

BEFORE YOU START
Please complete the forms in [onboarding portal] by [date], including
your tax withholding forms and Section 1 of Form I-9 (employment
eligibility). Section 1 must be done no later than your first day.
Please don't email your Social Security number or bank details; the
portal is secure.

WHAT TO BRING
For Form I-9, bring original, unexpired documents of your choice from
the Lists of Acceptable Documents: either one document from List A, or
one from List B and one from List C. The lists are here:
https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents
[Anything else the role needs: safety boots, license, etc.]

DRESS AND PRACTICALITIES
[Dress norms.] [Lunch, building access, accessibility information.]
If you need any adjustments for your first day, let me know.

QUESTIONS
Contact me at [email, phone]. We look forward to seeing you on
[date].

[Name, title]

Template 2: the manager's personal note

Short, from the manager's own address, sent soon after acceptance. It is not the place for logistics.

Subject: Really glad you said yes

Hi [First name],

I wanted to say personally how pleased I am that you're joining the
team. What stood out for me in our conversations was [specific: the
way you approached X / your experience with Y], and I think it will
matter a lot in [first project or problem].

In your first few weeks you'll [one or two concrete things: meet
the people you'll work with most, get to know X, ship Y]. [Name]
will be your onboarding buddy; they'll reach out before you start.

If anything comes up before [start date], or you just want to talk
through the first month, call me on [number]. HR will send the
practical details separately.

See you on [date],
[Manager name]

Template 3: the remote-start welcome

Subject: Your first day at [Company] on [date]: equipment and login

Hi [First name],

Welcome aboard. Here's how your remote first day will work.

YOUR EQUIPMENT
Your [laptop / kit] ships by [date] to the address you gave us:
[address, last line only]. Tracking: [link]. If it hasn't arrived
by [date], tell me and we'll arrange a backup.

LOGGING IN ON DAY ONE
At [time, your time zone], open the email from [IT sender] with your
temporary login. [IT contact] will be on a call at [video link] from
[time] to get you set up. If anything fails, call [phone].

FIRST MEETINGS (all times [time zone])
[09:30] Welcome call with [HR name]: [link]
[11:00] Your manager, [name]: [link]
[14:00] Team introduction: [link]

FORMS AND DOCUMENTS
Please complete the forms in [portal] by [date], including Section 1
of Form I-9 no later than your first day. For the document check,
[we will send a short guide to our remote process / you will meet an
authorized representative at (place)]. You choose which acceptable
documents to present from the Lists of Acceptable Documents:
https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

QUESTIONS
[Name, email, phone]. We're looking forward to working with you.

[Name, title]

Fill the bracketed document-check line from your own process. USCIS allows remote examination only for employers that participate in E-Verify in good standing, using a DHS-authorized alternative procedure: examining copies of the documents and then a live video interaction with the employee (USCIS, as of October 2026). Otherwise documents are examined in person, by you or an authorized representative. The options are set out in I-9 remote verification.

Template 4: the first-week schedule

Subject: Your first week: [date] to [date]

Hi [First name],

Here's the plan for your first week. It will change a little, but it
gives you a shape.

MONDAY      Welcome, accounts, team lunch. 4 p.m.: 30 minutes with me.
TUESDAY     [Product / system] walkthrough with [name]. Read [doc].
WEDNESDAY   Shadow [name] on [real work]. I-9 documents checked by today.
THURSDAY    [Customer call / site visit / first small task].
FRIDAY      Week-one check-in with me: what's clear, what isn't.

Your goals for the first 30 days are in the attached plan; we'll go
through it together on Monday.

[Manager name]

The attached plan can be built from the 30-60-90 day plan template; the full set of tasks behind the schedule is in the new hire onboarding checklist.

Template 5: the day-before reminder

Subject: See you tomorrow at [time]

Hi [First name], a quick reminder: [time, time zone] at [address /
video link], ask for [name]. Bring your I-9 documents (your choice
from the lists we sent). Questions tonight? [phone]. See you tomorrow.

How does Form I-9 timing affect the welcome email?

• Section 1: USCIS says "the employee must complete Section 1 no later than the employee's first day of employment," and "you may not ask an individual who has not accepted a job offer to complete Section 1" (USCIS M-274, section 3). So the portal deadline in Template 1 can be any time after acceptance, up to the first day.
• Section 2: the employer must examine the documents and complete Section 2 "within three business days of the date employment begins"; for a Monday start, by Thursday (M-274, section 4). That is why Template 4 puts the document check on Wednesday at the latest.
• Documents: originals, not photocopies (certified copies of birth certificates excepted when examined in person), and the employee's choice. Do not write "bring your passport" or "bring your driver's license and Social Security card."
• Form edition: the current Form I-9 edition date is 01/20/25, and USCIS says the 08/01/23 edition with an expiration date of 05/31/2027 may still be used (uscis.gov/i-9, as of October 2026).

More detail, including counting business days for unusual start days, is in I-9 timing in hiring and I-9 List A, B and C documents. This is general information, not legal advice.

A filled example

Common mistakes

For remote hires, the weeks after the welcome email are planned in onboarding plan for remote employees. As of October 2026.