This article explains how Work Rights Checks can be added to an Onboarding at specific points in the process, and which one suits your organisation. For Australian companies, Xemplo also runs a VEVO check every time a worker's work rights information is saved - whether it's entered for the first time during Onboarding or updated later.
Work Rights Checks during the Onboarding process
During onboarding, you choose whether a Work Rights check happens before or after the worker signs their contract, using the Enable Work Rights setting on the position. Australian companies can optionally add a VEVO Check of the provided travel documentation at this point using the Enable VEVO Check setting as well.
Please note: A VEVO Check is always conducted for all workers employed in Australian companies who have provided a valid travel document. A repeat VEVO Check is conducted at least every 30 days throughout a worker's ongoing employment, including after they have completed their Onboarding.
The Enable Work Rights and Enable VEVO Check settings don't change this. They control when during onboarding the worker is asked for their work rights information and the VEVO Check is completed: before or after they sign their contract. The worker will always have to complete the check.
How VEVO checks work
A VEVO check runs automatically whenever a worker's work rights information is saved - when it's first entered, and every time it's updated, at any point in the worker lifecycle. A VEVO Check involves sending travel document details to the Department of Home Affairs electronically, and providing the response back to authorised users to review.
You can find out more about VEVO Checks and Work Rights here.
Which Onboarding method should I use?
The method most suitable to your business will depend on the contract you use and your business preference.
| Option 1 (recommended): Check after contract signing | Option 2: Check before contract signing | |
|---|---|---|
| Suited for | Contracts that include a clause covering background checks and work rights eligibility - including all Xemplo contracts | Contracts with no clause allowing an offer to be retracted based on a failed check |
| Also suits | Organisations running other background checks (e.g. police checks) that take longer than the near-instant VEVO check | - |
| When the worker signs their contract | At the start of onboarding | After an initial VEVO check is reviewed |
| Onboarding paused? | No | Yes, until HR reviews the result (unless the worker is an Australian or New Zealand citizen) |
| Enable Work Rights and Enable VEVO Check setting | Off | On |
Option 1: Work Rights check after contract signing
The worker signs their contract first, then provides their work rights information while completing their profile.
What the worker sees:
- Accept the Xemplo terms and conditions of use.
- View and sign their contract.
- Complete the remaining onboarding steps (profile, training, policies, etc.), including their work rights information. The VEVO check runs as soon as they save the Work Rights section.
- Submit their onboarding for HR review.
What HR needs to do: When reviewing the onboarding before finalising it, check the VEVO result. If there's an issue, you can contact the worker or cancel the onboarding.
Option 2: Work Rights check before contract signing
The worker provides their work rights information and consents to a VEVO check before they can sign their contract. Use this method if your contract does not include a clause allowing you to retract an offer based on a failed check, or you otherwise prefer to conduct the check and pause Onboarding to review it manually before progressing.
What the worker sees:
- Accept the Xemplo terms and conditions of use.
- View and acknowledge their contract (they don't sign it yet).
- Consent to the collection of their work rights information.
- Enter their work rights information. The VEVO check runs as soon as they save.
- Onboarding pauses while HR reviews the VEVO check result.
- If the worker is an Australian or New Zealand citizen, onboarding resumes immediately - no HR review is needed.
- When onboarding resumes, the contract is presented again, this time for signing.
- Complete the remaining onboarding steps (profile, training, policies, etc.) and submit for HR review.
What HR needs to do: Review the VEVO check result while onboarding is paused. Once the result is reviewed, the worker can continue to contract signing. The worker's Work Rights and VEVO Check status should be checked again on final review in case originally entered information has changed.
How to set the onboarding method
The method is set per position, so the worker follows whichever method is set on the position they're being onboarded to.
- Open the position the worker is being onboarded to.
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- In the Work Rights section, make sure Work Rights is turned on.
- Set Enable Work Rights and Enable VEVO Check:
- Off - Option 1 (recommended), check after contract signing.
- On - Option 2, check before contract signing.
- Save the position.
Frequently asked questions
If a worker updates their work rights information during or after onboarding, is it checked again?
Yes. A new check runs every time work rights information is saved, at any point in the worker lifecycle.
If the first check fails or has an error, can it be fixed later?
Yes. Once the worker's work rights information is corrected and saved, a new check runs automatically.
Does Option 2 always pause onboarding?
Only for workers who aren't Australian or New Zealand citizens. Onboarding continues straight to contract signing for workers who declare they are Australian or New Zealand citizens and provide appropriate evidence.
We run police or other background checks. Which option should we use? Option 1. Background checks usually take longer than a VEVO check, so it makes sense to review all results together before finalising the onboarding.
Does changing Enable VEVO Check affect workers already in onboarding? No - Onboardings in progress will adopt the same timing as the settings in place when the Onboarding started.