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New Employees

Welcome to the Harvard Library! We are pleased that you’ve chosen to join Harvard Library, a community of talented individuals committed to advancing scholarship and teaching through the creation, application, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge.

There is much to learn and do when becoming acclimated to a new position, new colleagues, and a new work environment. This page provides guidance about the concrete steps you can take within your first week, within your first month, and within your first three months to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.

Within Your First Week

Meet with your manager: Your manager will meet with you on your first day to discuss your new position, introduce you to your colleagues, and help you to become acclimated to your new work environment.

Set up email and phone: Your manager will help you set up your email account and phone account.

Sign up for your T pass: Harvard’s CommuterChoice program offers a 50% subsidy for most transit passes. It may take 5–9 weeks before you receive your first transit pass, so sign up as soon as you can (you’ll need your Harvard ID number and PIN).

Unfortunately there is no reimbursement for transit passes you buy on your own while waiting for your first pass. You may be able to find a discounted pass on Harvard’s Community Classifieds site.

Sign up for parking: You can request parking permits as soon as you’ve received your Harvard ID number.

Get started in PeopleSoft: Through PeopleSoft, Harvard’s human resource information system, you’ll be able to enter and track your time and absences, among many other functions. Within your first week, you’ll want to use PeopleSoft to:

  • Complete your federal and state tax withholding information
  • Review your home and University mailing address
  • Enroll in direct deposit
  • Add emergency contact information

You can also browse resources on how to use PeopleSoft.

Add a preferred name: If your preferred first name is something other than what’s on your legal paperwork, you can enter it in PeopleSoft, and many of Harvard’s systems — including PeopleSoft communications as well as University-wide systems like the Outlook directory and Harvard’s online directories — will display it. Navigate to My Self Service > My Personal Details > Names, and click the + button to add a name.

Add information regarding your gender: If you wish, you can specify your pronouns (which will be visible throughout Harvard systems) and/or provide additional gender identity information (which will be kept confidential per Harvard’s information security policies). To do so through PeopleSoft, navigate to My Self Service > My Personal Details > Gender Identity.

Within Your First Month

New Harvard Employee Orientation: Visit the HARVie New Employees webpage to learn about new employee orientation and how to register online.

Learn about/sign up for your benefits: A benefits enrollment guide will be mailed to your home address shortly after you are hired. If you don’t receive it within a week of your first day at work, call the Benefits Services Group at 617-496-4001. You can also read more online about benefits enrollment, or about your total compensation package (including benefits and perks). Remember: You have 30 days from your date of hire to make your benefits choices.

Explore HARVie: The Harvard Information for Employees website (HARVie) is the University’s main clearinghouse for staff info. Spend some time exploring — you might want to start on the New Employees page.

Register for MessageMe: Harvard's MessageMe emergency notification system allows the University to quickly distribute critical information to you, wherever you’re located, during an emergency.

Learn about Harvard’s inclement weather guidelines: University-wide messages about inclement weather are communicated by MessageMe text message; by email; on harvard.edu; and on the University’s 24-hour news line, 617-496-NEWS.

Take the Harvard Information Security Awareness training: Harvard employees are required to take this training, which is designed to help you recognize High-Risk Confidential Information, to protect it, and to act appropriately if you are aware of a breach in its security.

Sign Harvard’s Confidentiality Agreement: Harvard employees are required to sign this agreement regarding the handling of confidential information once a year. To navigate to the agreement in PeopleSoft, go to My Self Service > My Agreements > Confidentiality Agreement. Read the agreement, then click “Accept.” You’ll receive an email prompt every year to return to PeopleSoft and resign the agreement.

Within Your First Three Months

Follow up with Human Resources: Within the first three months of your hire, Human Resources will be following up with you to discuss your experience as a new employee and to provide resources and assistance to ensure that your transition continues to be a smooth one.

Prepare for your 90-day review: For most employees, the first 90 days of employment is an orientation and review period. This should be the beginning of an ongoing conversation between you and your manager to review department priorities and goals, develop employee goals aligned with those department priorities, and explore learning and professional development opportunities.