Workplace pensions - employing staff for the first time

It's important that you understand what to do and by when, so you can meet your automatic enrolment duties on time.

Your legal duties begin on the day your first member of staff starts work. This is known as your duties start date. Even if you think you won't need to put your staff into a scheme, you'll still have duties.

It only takes a minute to answer the following questions. You'll then be presented with your very own tailored duties timeline of what you need to do and by when.

Employing staff for the first time?

Answer 'yes' if:

• you employ at least one person now or,
• you're thinking of employing someone
• your current member of staff doesn't earn enough to pay tax or national insurance

Answer 'no' if:

• you're a director of a business with no plans to employ anyone
• you're freelance or self-employed
• your business has a number of directors, none of whom has an employment contract
• your business is no longer active

Yes

No

Used the online tool before or using a different device?

• I'm an employer who has to provide a pension
• I'm an employer who doesn't have to provide a pension now

New: Duties timeline for those employing staff for the first time

To help make your automatic enrolment easier we’ve created a new duties timeline that helps you work out what duties you need to do and by when. Just answer some questions on this page before you get started.

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