# The Pre-Start Onboarding Packet Standard, Graded Pass, Hold, or Fail

*Grade every onboarding packet item pass, hold, or fail, from verifying the portal through I-9 timing, arbitration and invention clauses, to every benefit deadline.*

- Canonical URL: https://www.refolk.ai/candidates/guides/onboarding-packet-standard-pass-hold-fail
- Pillar: Offers and negotiation
- Format: Standard
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-21
- Reading time: 22 min
- Keywords: what to check in new hire onboarding paperwork, should I sign arbitration agreement new job, prior inventions list invention assignment agreement, is this onboarding portal legit or a scam, how long do new hires have to enroll in benefits, I-9 documents remote new hire verification

## Key takeaways

- A fake onboarding portal asks for the same SSN, bank, and ID data as a real one, so the only reliable test is a callback to HR on a phone number you found yourself, never one from the recruiter's email.
- The employer must complete Form I-9 Section 2 within 3 business days, after you present either one List A document or one List B plus one List C document.
- Live-video I-9 review is only allowed for employers enrolled in E-Verify and in good standing; an employer that is not enrolled can still verify you remotely through an authorized representative.
- Grade the arbitration agreement together with every document signed the same day, because in Alberto a confidentiality agreement signed alongside it was enough for the court to refuse enforcement.
- In a newly established 401(k) plan you can be auto-enrolled at 3-10%, and the 90-day withdrawal window is the only way out without the 10% penalty, with any match on withdrawn deferrals forfeited.
- In Refolk's index, US profiles with onboarding titles outnumber profiles with I-9 E-Verify in the headline 72 to 1, so whoever sends your packet is rarely an I-9 specialist and your own check matters.

You have signed the offer, and an onboarding portal now wants your ID, bank details, tax forms, and signatures on a stack of agreements. This standard is for the new hire in the gap between a countersigned offer letter and day one. It grades every item in the packet pass, hold, or fail against fixed criteria, so you know what to submit, what needs a question first, and which clocks you cannot let run out. It picks up where the Offer Packet Redline ends. Non-compete questions go to the Restrictive Clause Score, so they are not covered again here.

## What pass, hold, and fail mean for an onboarding item

Pass means the item meets its criteria and you submit it. Hold means you send one written question and submit nothing until you get a written answer. Fail means you stop, because either the item or the channel it arrived through is wrong.

Every packet item falls into one of four types, and the portal itself is a gate in front of all of them:

- **Gate - the portal and sender.** Nothing else gets graded until this passes.
- **Identity.** Form I-9 and the documents behind it.
- **Tax and pay.** The W-4 and direct deposit.
- **Agreements.** Arbitration, confidentiality, invention assignment, handbook acknowledgments.
- **Elections.** Health coverage and the 401(k).

| Item type | Pass when | Hold when | Fail when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portal and sender | HR confirms portal and recruiter by name on a number you found | Portal runs on a third-party HR domain, not yet confirmed | Data or payment demanded before your questions are answered |
| Identity (I-9) | Section 1 signed; one List A, or one List B plus one List C | Live video offered, E-Verify status unknown | Live video at a site not enrolled in E-Verify |
| Tax and pay | Valid W-4 on file before first paycheck | Portal not yet verified | W-4 never filed |
| Agreements | Same-day documents read as one set; verbal claims in writing | Separate confidentiality agreement; missing state notice | Signature demanded on the spot with no review |
| Elections | Every clock is on your calendar | Plan rules unread | A window closes unlogged |

The unit you grade for agreements is the signing day, not the single document. Courts read documents signed together as one contract (California Civil Code 1642 is the usual citation). A clause that passes alone can fail once you read the document signed next to it.

The standard's limits:

- **US only.** The rules cited are federal, plus a handful of named states.
- **Not covered.** Background-check disclosure forms, state withholding defaults, direct-deposit cutoffs, and equipment or property-deduction receipts. None of these was established in the evidence behind this standard. Ask HR in writing for each one.
- **Not legal advice.** A hold on an agreement means you get a lawyer to read the set before you sign.

## Is this onboarding portal legit or a scam?

A portal is legitimate when someone in the employer's HR team, reached on a phone number you found yourself, confirms the portal and the recruiter by name. Nothing on the form itself can tell you, because a scam portal asks for exactly what a real one does: your Social Security number, bank details, and ID.

The FTC has documented scammers running "phony onboarding portals where they ask you for Social Security numbers and bank account information." These scams typically want that data "before they'll answer your questions about the job," and some send fake equipment invoices to be paid by cash, Zelle, or PayPal. The FTC's verification advice is specific: contact the company directly "using a phone number you know to be legitimate - not one you got from the 'recruiter.'"

What the callback proves: the portal and the person sending it exist inside the employer's real HR process. How it lies: if you dial the number in the email, you reach the scammer, and the call "confirms" the scam.

What does not count as evidence:

- **Logos and letterhead.** The FTC calls them "cut-and-paste fakes," and scam offers arrive on corporate stationery.
- **A matching domain.** I found no FTC guidance that tells people to check the portal's domain. Plenty of real employers run onboarding on a third-party HR platform's domain, so a mismatch alone is a hold, not a fail.
- **How official the form looks.** The fields are the same on both kinds of portal.

Fail triggers, where you send nothing and stop:

- They want your SSN or bank details before they will answer basic questions about the role.
- You get an invoice for equipment payable by cash, Zelle, or PayPal.
- HR, reached on an independent number, has no record of the recruiter or the portal.

If a portal fails, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you already sent bank details, contact your bank.

#### Grading the portal before any data leaves

Horizontal axis runs from Channel unverified to Channel confirmed independently. Vertical axis runs from Asks only about the job to Asks for SSN, bank, or payment.

| Quadrant | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Fail | Send nothing; call HR on a number from the company's own website |
| Pass | Submit through the portal and keep copies |
| Hold | Verify now, before the first data request arrives |
| Pass on channel | Proceed and grade each item on its own criteria |

*The data requested cannot separate a real portal from a fake one, so the grade depends on whether you confirmed the channel independently.*

> The form cannot tell you whether the portal is real. Only the channel you checked it through can.

## I-9 documents and remote new hire verification

Form I-9 runs on two clocks. You complete and sign Section 1. The employer completes Section 2 within 3 business days, after examining either one List A document, or one List B document plus one List C document.

Section 1 is generally treated as due by your first day of work, but none of the sources behind this standard quoted that deadline. Confirm it at USCIS I-9 Central (uscis.gov/i-9-central) and treat day one as the latest safe date.

### Document combinations

- **One List A document**, on its own, or
- **One List B document plus one List C document.**

Bring exactly one valid combination. If you are not sure which documents you hold fall in which list, check the current list at I-9 Central rather than guessing in the portal.

### Remote review methods and who may use them

| Method | Who may use it | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Live video review | Employers enrolled in E-Verify and in good standing | Site is enrolled; Section 2 box gets checked |
| Authorized representative | Any employer, no E-Verify needed | Who the representative is and when you meet |
| In-person review | Any employer | Where and when on or before day one |

The live-video alternative procedure has been in effect since August 1, 2023, under a DHS final rule. Three details matter to you:

- **E-Verify status is the gate.** Using the alternative procedure without being an active E-Verify participant at the time, or without checking the box in Section 2, is a substantive violation.
- **It is all or nothing per site.** An employer that offers live video at an E-Verify site must offer it to every employee at that site.
- **State limits may apply.** One single source says California limits who can act as a remote authorized representative. Treat that as unverified, and ask HR if you are in California.

What a live-video invitation proves: the employer believes it may use the procedure. How it lies: the person sending it may not know whether the hiring site is enrolled in E-Verify. Ask, and get the answer in writing.

> **Watch out:** Live video is not proof the method is allowed
>
> A live-video I-9 at an employer that is not enrolled in E-Verify looks routine and is a substantive violation. Before the call, ask HR in writing whether your hiring site is enrolled in E-Verify. If it is not, ask for an authorized representative instead.

### Who is likely sending your packet

The person running your onboarding is usually a generalist, not an I-9 specialist. That is why your own check on remote-review eligibility is worth doing.

**72:1 - US profiles with onboarding titles for every profile with I-9 E-Verify in the headline, in Refolk's index**

5,918 US profiles are titled Onboarding Specialist or Onboarding Coordinator, against 82 with I-9 E-Verify in their headline.

| Headline or title (US) | Profiles | Typical title or employer |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding titles | 5,918 | Onboarding Specialist or Coordinator |
| benefits enrollment | 1,464 | Enrollment firm leaders; Enrollment Benefit Concepts, MassMutual |
| I-9 E-Verify | 82 | Attorneys, HR associates; FedEx, Jackson Lewis, i9 Intelligence |

In Refolk's index, benefits enrollment headlines also outnumber I-9 E-Verify headlines by 17.9 to 1. Expect better answers on elections than on I-9 mechanics, and put I-9 questions in writing so they reach someone who knows.

If you are comparing advice from outside the US, read the job title carefully. The same title covers different work in each country:

| Market | Profiles | Top title in sample of 25 | Employers at the top |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 5,918 | Onboarding Specialist, 21 of 25 | Healthcare staffing, revenue-cycle firms, SaaS |
| United Kingdom | 667 | Onboarding Specialist, 18 of 25 | Banks: JPMorganChase, HSBC, Citi, Bank of America |
| Ratio US:UK | 8.9x | - | - |

UK onboarding roles cluster in banks doing client onboarding and KYC (know-your-customer) checks, not new-hire paperwork. The title and employer counts come from samples of 25 profiles per query, so read them as direction, not precise shares.

## Which onboarding items have deadlines and defaults?

Four items run on clocks that keep going whether you act or not: I-9 Section 2, the W-4, a newly established 401(k) plan, and the health plan waiting period. Three of them have a default that kicks in if you do nothing, so silence is a choice.

| Item | Clock | Default if left alone |
|---|---|---|
| I-9 Section 2 | 3 business days | Employer violation |
| W-4 | Before first paycheck | Single, no adjustments |
| 401(k), new plans | Notice 30-90 days before entry; 90 days to withdraw | Enrolled at 3-10% |
| Health waiting period | 90 calendar days or less from eligibility | Not established publicly |

#### The clocks between signing and day 90

1. **Signed offer** - Verify the portal before any data leaves your hands
2. **Day one** - I-9 Section 1 signed and documents ready
3. **Three business days** - Employer completes I-9 Section 2
4. **First paycheck** - Valid W-4 on file or default withholding applies
5. **Eligibility plus 90 days** - Health waiting period cap; 401(k) withdrawal window closes 90 days after automatic deferrals start

*Each onboarding clock starts from a different event, so log each one against its own trigger rather than your hire date.*

### W-4

If you file no valid W-4, the employer withholds as if you are single or married filing separately with no other entries (IRS Topic 753). Pass means a valid W-4 is on file before the first paycheck. State withholding forms are separate, and their defaults were not established here. Ask HR which state form applies.

### 401(k) auto-enrollment

Under SECURE 2.0, plans established after December 29, 2022 must auto-enroll new employees, with a default contribution of 3-10% that rises 1% a year. The mechanics:

- **Notice.** It must reach you 30-90 days before your entry date.
- **Way out.** You have 90 days to withdraw the automatic contributions. That window is the only way out without the 10% penalty.
- **Cost.** Any employer match on the deferrals you withdraw is forfeited.
- **Exemptions.** Employers with 10 or fewer employees, businesses less than 3 years old, and church and government plans.

What a missing 401(k) election proves: nothing yet. How it lies: if your employer's plan predates December 29, 2022, or the employer is exempt, no election means you may not be enrolled at all. Check the summary plan description (SPD), the plan's official plain-language rulebook.

### Health coverage

Under the ACA, a health plan waiting period cannot exceed 90 calendar days, weekends included (26 CFR 54.9815-2708). The clock starts when you meet the plan's eligibility conditions, for example your date of hire or the date you become full-time. A bona fide orientation period of up to one month can come before that, and an eligibility rule based on cumulative hours cannot exceed 1,200 hours.

How long your new-hire election window lasts, and what happens if you miss it, are set by your plan and not established publicly. Hold this item until HR tells you in writing:

- the date your eligibility starts,
- the last day to elect, and
- what coverage you get if you elect nothing.

## Should I sign the arbitration agreement at a new job?

Sign it only after you have read it together with every other document in the same signing session, and after any verbal explanation from HR is confirmed in writing. Grading the arbitration agreement on its own produces false passes.

Two California appellate cases show what goes wrong:

- **Velarde v. Monroe Operations (G063626, 111 Cal.App.5th 1009).** A five-page arbitration agreement was "buried among 31 documents that Velarde had to sign quickly while an HR manager waited." The HR manager said arbitration avoided lawyers, while the text referenced the FAA and required discovery under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The misstatements made it substantively unconscionable, and the Court of Appeal affirmed the refusal to enforce it.
- **Alberto v. Cambrian Homecare (B314192, 91 Cal.App.5th 482).** The court read the arbitration agreement together with a confidentiality agreement signed the same day, which carved out court injunctions, and refused to enforce it. A later published case, B337435, followed Alberto.

What this means at your desk: speed creates the legal risk. Employment practitioners advise employers to present arbitration as a standalone document with time to review. In Velarde it arrived on day one, so do not assume the order. Asking for time to read is a reasonable request, and how fast you were pushed to sign is one of the things courts weigh.

> **Rule:** Grade the signing day, not the document
>
> Every document presented in the same session is graded as one set. An arbitration agreement cannot pass until the confidentiality agreement, invention assignment, and handbook acknowledgment signed alongside it have been read with it.

Criteria for the agreement set:

1. **Find every agreement.** Look inside handbook acknowledgments too, not just documents titled "agreement."
2. **Find the carve-outs.** Note any document that sends some disputes to court while another sends disputes to arbitration.
3. **Compare words with text.** Any verbal explanation from HR that differs from the text is a hold until it is confirmed in writing.
4. **Log any opt-out.** If a document offers an opt-out window, record its deadline. How common these windows are and how long they run is not established publicly, so read your own document.
5. **Escalate holds.** Any hold on an agreement goes to an employment lawyer before you sign.

**Request for review time and written confirmation**

```
Hi [HR contact name],

Thanks for sending the onboarding packet. I have completed [I-9 Section 1 / W-4 / direct deposit] through the portal.

Before I sign the agreements, I would like time to read them together. Could you confirm:

1. The date by which the following need to be signed: [Arbitration Agreement], [Confidentiality Agreement], [Invention Assignment Agreement], [Handbook Acknowledgment].
2. In writing, your explanation of [the point you discussed, e.g. how disputes are handled under the arbitration agreement], so I have it on file.
3. Whether any of these documents has an opt-out window, and if so, its deadline.
4. Whether my hiring site is enrolled in E-Verify, and which method will be used to review my I-9 documents.

I will return everything signed by [date before start date]. Thank you.

[Your name]
```

*Send to the HR contact you verified by phone; list the actual document names from your packet.*

## Prior inventions list and the invention assignment agreement

Fill in the prior-inventions exhibit on purpose: either list what you made before this job, or write "none" explicitly. Then check whether your state requires the employer to give you written notice of the statutory carve-out for things you build on your own time.

An invention assignment agreement transfers to the employer your rights in work you create during the job. A standard template attaches an Exhibit A, a "Prior Inventions Disclosure," where you list what you already own so it stays outside the assignment.

State rules that change the grade:

| State | Statute | Written notice required? |
|---|---|---|
| California | Labor Code 2872 | Yes |
| Illinois | 765 ILCS 1060/2(3) | Yes |
| Washington | RCW 49.44.140(3) | Yes |
| New York | Labor Law 203-f | No |

One source counts six states with invention-assignment statutes: California, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Washington. New York's Labor Law 203-f took effect September 15, 2023. The OpenAgreements state guides are a good place to check your own state's rules.

How to grade it:

- **Pass:** the exhibit is filled in or deliberately marked "none," and any required state notice is present.
- **Hold:** the packet is for a California, Illinois, or Washington role and has no written notice of the exemption.
- **Not a defect:** a New York packet with no notice.

Why "deliberately" matters: some agreements say that no list attached means you have no prior inventions. What that clause legally commits you to was not established in the sources behind this standard. In California, under Labor Code 2872, the burden of proof falls on the employee who later claims the carve-out. A blank exhibit is the weakest position you can be in, so never leave it blank by accident.

Describe each prior item just enough to identify it: a side project, a published tool, a design you own. If [Refolk](/candidates) wrote your resume from your own history, the projects it already pulled out are a ready starting list for Exhibit A. Trim it to what you actually own, and add anything you left off the resume.

## The step-by-step procedure, signing to day one

Run these eight steps in order. The first step gates everything after it, and the last step is what lets you prove any of it later.

#### Onboarding packet procedure

1. **Verify the sender on an independent number** - Call back on a number from the company's own website, not the email (15-30 min). Done when HR confirms the portal and the recruiter by name, before any personal data leaves your hands.
2. **Inventory and tag every packet item** - List every item and tag it identity, tax/pay, agreement, or election (30 min). Done when each item has a type and a due date.
3. **Complete I-9 Section 1 and confirm the review method** - Sign Section 1 by day one and ask whether review is by live video (E-Verify employers only) or an authorized representative. Done when Section 1 is signed and you hold one List A, or one List B plus one List C.
4. **File the W-4 and direct deposit** - Submit both through the verified portal (20 min). Done when a valid W-4 is on file before the first paycheck.
5. **Read the agreements as one set** - Read every same-session document together for arbitration, confidentiality, invention assignment, and statutory notice (1-3 hrs, plus a lawyer if flagged). Done when every clause is pass or hold and every verbal explanation is in writing.
6. **Fill in the prior-inventions exhibit** - List what you made before this job or write none on purpose (30-60 min). Done when the exhibit is never blank by accident.
7. **Log every election deadline** - Calendar the health eligibility date, the 401(k) notice, and the end of the 90-day withdrawal window (15 min). Done when each clock has a dated entry.
8. **Keep a copy of everything you signed** - Save a PDF of each countersigned document outside the employer's systems. Done when you hold your own copy of every signature.

Steps 3 and 4 can run in parallel once step 1 passes. Step 5 is the one people skip under time pressure, and it is the one the case law is about.

## How this goes wrong: failure modes and false positives

Most packet failures are false passes: an item looks fine on the check you ran, but the check itself was wrong. Each failure mode below gives what it looks like, what goes wrong, and the correction.

1. **Verifying the portal against the recruiter's own details.**
   - Looks like: you called the number in the email and someone confirmed everything.
   - Goes wrong: that call reaches the scammer and confirms the scam.
   - Fix: find the number independently, as the FTC advises.
   - False negative to avoid: a portal on a third-party HR platform's domain is common at real employers. A domain mismatch alone is a hold, not a fail.
2. **Trusting branded paperwork.**
   - Looks like: logo, letterhead, official formatting.
   - Goes wrong: the FTC notes scam offers arrive on corporate stationery. Letterhead counts for nothing.
   - Fix: grade the channel, never the design.
3. **Live-video I-9 at an employer not enrolled in E-Verify.**
   - Looks like: a routine video call with HR.
   - Goes wrong: it is a substantive violation, and it is your I-9 that gets corrected.
   - Fix: ask in writing whether the hiring site is enrolled in E-Verify.
4. **Grading the arbitration agreement on its own.**
   - Looks like: a neutral, even-handed agreement, which is a false pass.
   - Goes wrong: a confidentiality agreement signed the same day carves out court injunctions, as in Alberto.
   - Fix: read every same-day document as one set.
5. **Relying on what HR says.**
   - Looks like: a reassuring explanation that arbitration is simple and avoids lawyers.
   - Goes wrong: in Velarde, the text required federal-rules discovery.
   - Fix: get every verbal explanation in writing.
6. **Misreading the invention-assignment notice rule.**
   - Looks like: grading every packet the same way.
   - Goes wrong: a missing notice in a California, Illinois, or Washington packet is a hold, while a New York packet with no notice is not a defect.
   - Fix: check the statute for the state you will work in.
7. **Assuming auto-enrollment.**
   - Looks like: no 401(k) form, so you assume the default will cover it.
   - Goes wrong: plans set up before December 29, 2022 are exempt, so you may not be enrolled at all.
   - Fix: read the SPD.
8. **Counting the 90 days from your hire date.**
   - Looks like: one calendar entry, 90 days after day one.
   - Goes wrong: the clock can start at eligibility, after an orientation period of up to one month.
   - Fix: ask HR for your eligibility date and count from that.

> **Watch out:** Speed is the failure mode under all the others
>
> Every false pass above gets more likely when you sign quickly while someone waits. If the portal or HR pushes you to finish the stack in one sitting, slowing down is the correction, not a courtesy you are asking for.

## Keeping the packet record current through day 90

The packet is not finished at day one. It is finished when every clock it started has been logged, and every signature you gave sits in a file you control. Keep one log per employer, and update it whenever HR answers a hold.

**Onboarding packet log**

```
Employer: [name]    Start date: [date]    HR contact verified on: [date, number source]

Item                      | Type       | Grade | Due / clock                         | Status / proof
Portal and sender         | Gate       |       | Before any data                     | Confirmed by [name] on [date]
I-9 Section 1             | Identity   |       | By day one (confirm at I-9 Central) | Documents: [List A] or [List B + List C]
I-9 review method         | Identity   |       | Section 2 within 3 business days    | Live video (E-Verify: yes/no) or authorized rep
W-4                       | Tax/pay    |       | Before first paycheck               |
State withholding form    | Tax/pay    |       | Ask HR                              |
Direct deposit            | Tax/pay    |       | Ask HR for cutoff                   |
Arbitration agreement     | Agreement  |       | Signing session [date]              | Read with: [same-day documents]
Confidentiality agreement | Agreement  |       | Signing session [date]              | Carve-outs: [note]
Invention assignment      | Agreement  |       | Signing session [date]              | State notice present: yes/no/not required
Prior-inventions exhibit  | Agreement  |       | With assignment                     | Filled in / none, on purpose
Health election           | Election   |       | Eligibility [date]; window ends [date] | Default if missed: [per HR]
401(k)                    | Election   |       | Notice [date]; 90-day window ends [date] | Plan established after Dec 29, 2022: yes/no
Signed copies             | Record     |       | Day one                             | PDFs saved at [location]
```

*One row per item; add rows for anything your packet contains that is not listed here.*

If a portal fails verification and the offer turns out to be fake, you are back in the search sooner than you planned. [Refolk](/candidates) can tailor your existing resume to the next postings so that restart costs days, not weeks.

#### Before you call the packet done

- [ ] HR confirmed the portal and the recruiter by name on a phone number I found myself
- [ ] No SSN, bank detail, or ID left my hands before that confirmation
- [ ] I-9 Section 1 is signed and I presented one List A, or one List B plus one List C
- [ ] I know whether my hiring site is enrolled in E-Verify and which review method was used
- [ ] A valid W-4 is on file before my first paycheck
- [ ] I read every document from the same signing session as one set
- [ ] Every verbal explanation from HR that I am relying on is in writing
- [ ] Any arbitration opt-out window I found has its deadline on my calendar
- [ ] The prior-inventions exhibit is filled in or marked none on purpose
- [ ] My state's invention-assignment notice is present, or my state does not require one
- [ ] My health eligibility date and election deadline are on my calendar
- [ ] The 401(k) notice date and the end of the 90-day withdrawal window are on my calendar
- [ ] I hold a PDF of every document I signed, stored outside the employer's systems

At day 90, go through the log one last time. Close every row whose clock has run, and confirm on your pay stubs that each election shows up the way you chose it.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is this onboarding portal legit or a scam?

You cannot tell from the portal itself, because a fake one asks for the same SSN, bank details, and ID as a real one. Call the employer on a phone number from the company's own website and ask HR to confirm the portal and the recruiter by name. A third-party HR platform domain is normal and means hold, not fail. A demand for data before they answer your questions, or an equipment invoice payable by cash, Zelle, or PayPal, means fail.

### Should I sign the arbitration agreement at a new job?

Sign only after reading it together with every other document in the same signing session and getting any verbal explanation from HR confirmed in writing. Courts have refused to enforce agreements buried among 31 documents signed while HR waited, and agreements read alongside a same-day confidentiality agreement. Asking for review time is reasonable. If anything is flagged, have an employment lawyer read the whole set before you sign.

### What I-9 documents do I need as a remote new hire?

You need either one List A document, or one List B document plus one List C document. You sign Section 1 yourself, and the employer finishes Section 2 within 3 business days. Remote review by live video is only allowed if the employer is enrolled in E-Verify and in good standing. Otherwise the employer can name an authorized representative to examine your documents in person, which needs no E-Verify.

### What happens if I leave the prior inventions list blank?

That is not established in the sources behind this standard, and that uncertainty is the reason not to leave it blank by accident. Some templates say no list attached means no prior inventions. In California the employee carries the burden of proving a carve-out later. Either list what you made before the job, described just enough to identify each item, or write none on purpose and keep a copy.

### How long do new hires have to enroll in benefits?

The new-hire election window is set by your plan, and typical lengths are not established publicly, so read your plan documents or ask HR in writing. What is fixed is the ACA cap: a health plan waiting period cannot run longer than 90 calendar days, weekends included. It counts from when you meet the plan's eligibility conditions, and a bona fide orientation period of up to one month can come first.

### What happens if I don't submit a W-4 before my first paycheck?

Your employer withholds federal tax as if you are single or married filing separately with no other entries, per IRS Topic 753. That may take more tax than you owe, or the wrong amount, until you file a valid W-4. Treat the W-4 as due before the first paycheck. State withholding defaults are not covered here, so check your state's form separately.

---

*From the Refolk guide library. I revise these guides rather than replacing them, so the current version is always at https://www.refolk.ai/candidates/guides/onboarding-packet-standard-pass-hold-fail*