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Temporary Hire Onboarding Guide | Phase 3: Start Your Temporary Job

You’ve completed all the requirements and are ready to start contributing to the important mission of the Forest Service!  

  1. Your First Day: Your supervisor will guide you through your first day onboarding activities. Among other things, you will need to:
  • Complete the Standard Form 61 (SF-61), Federal Oath of Office and Appointment Affidavit.
  • Update and re-sign the OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment. 
  • Review your position description (PD). Your supervisor can provide a copy of your PD and explain the duties assigned in your new job. 
  • Ensure you have registered or recovered your eAuthentication account, and you are able to log in to eAuthentication-required applications such as AgLearn, our official virtual training program, and PayCheck8, our time and attendance reporting system.
    • If you are a new, first-time temporary Forest Service (FS) employee, you will receive an email to register your eAuthentication account. The subject line states, “eAuthentication: Action Required – Internal User Account Registration.”
    • If you were previously employed by the FS or another USDA agency, you will need to recover your account through the forgotten password link.
    • In either case, visit the eAuthentication webpage or call the Human Resources Help Desk at 877-372-7248, Option 2 and ask for the Hunt Group if you need assistance. 
  1. Your First Two Weeks: Your supervisor will show you around the office and introduce you to your colleagues, either virtually or in person, and familiarize you with local office procedures.
    Your responsibilities and your need for certain tools and computer access will vary depending on the temporary job for which you were hired. The following are potential actions you may expect to complete during the first week or two on the job; do not expect each of these to apply to your temporary position. Additional details about each of these possible actions are included below in the Helpful Resources section:
  • Set up your profile in PayCheck8, our time and attendance system. Then, submit your timesheet on the last workday of the pay period.   
  • Obtain access to necessary computer systems.
  • Attend live or view recorded onboarding webinars and local orientation sessions.
  • Review your position description and performance plan with your supervisor.
  • Visit with your supervisor about your work location and schedule, and sign a telework agreement, if appropriate.
  • Obtain or initiate a request for your LincPass. 
  • Submit your receipt for safety boot reimbursement.

Helpful Resources and Potential Requirements

Depending on whether you are assigned a computer or not, connect your computer to the network, then log in and setup your email account. Your supervisor will receive an email from the Chief Information Office (CIO) with your initial account login information. 
Here are a few quick setup items that may or may not be applicable to you. Visit with your supervisor to determine which steps you should take.

  • Log in to your computer. If you have not received your LincPass, contact the CIO Customer Help Desk to request a temporary LincPass exception for your computer, you will need to request an exception every 30 days until you receive your LincPass.
  • Setup your Outlook email. 
  • Setup your official email signature block.
  • Sign into Skype, Adobe Connect, and MS Teams web conferencing tools.
  • Access Pinyon (Box) for sharing files (Pinyon Knowledge Article)
  • Set up Virtual Private Network (VPN) for remote access.
  • Install local printers. 
  • Work with your supervisor to gain access to SharePoint sites or other systems needed for your job.

If you need assistance with your computer login or setup, contact the CIO Customer Help Desk directly, at 866-945-1354. Help Desk Staffers are available 24/7.

This single sign on application allows you to access all your human resource-related applications through a centralized portal. Make sure you have access to ConnectHR workforce tools including Paycheck8 for time and attendance reporting, AgLearn for our training system, eSafety for reporting on the job injuries, your Employee Personal Page (EPP), and other tools.

You can also access some segments of ConnectHR from a personal computer, if you do not yet have access to a FS computer. You can call the New Hire Help Desk if you need assistance to complete this task.   

The FS contracts with private organizations to provide a variety of counseling and support services. You can learn more about the program via the Employee Assistance Program link.  The support and services are available to all active FS employees.

Check with your supervisor to determine if a government driver’s license is required for your job. Your supervisor or your unit’s fleet manager or safety officer can explain the licensing process for you.

If you are assigned FS housing, you will need to code the quarters deduction in Paycheck8 following these instructions:

  • In Paycheck 8 under "Personal Information" choose a "Time and Attendance (T&A) Contact Point" that matches the location of your quarters unit and click save.  You may need to get this information from your supervisor. 
  • In Paycheck8 under "Pay Options" enter the number of days in quarters and click save. If a quarters action has not been processed for you yet, you will not be able to code days in quarters. In that case, have your supervisor contact human resources to confirm the status of processing an action for quarters. You can call the New Hire Help Desk if you need assistance to complete this task.

If your job requires travel, you will need to apply for a Government Travel Charge Card and request access to the Travel System. Staff members on the Travel Help Desk, 877-372-7248, option #3, can provide support as you learn to use the travel authorization online tools.

If you work in an office that is different from the organization to which you are assigned, you may be considered “hosted” by the local unit. Examples of this could be a Wilderness Ranger who is assigned to one district but works out of a district that has better trail access into the Wilderness Area. Ask your supervisor if you need to complete a hosted employee agreement and follow the local unit’s check in procedures.

Your supervisor will provide you a written performance plan after you report for duty. More information is available on the Human Resources Management intranet page: HRM Performance.

Onboarding webinars for temporary new hires are in the works, but as of December 2020, not yet finalized. The Forest Service WEPO Training & Employee Development website will list a schedule for Temporary New Employee Onboarding Webinars once these are ready for your use.

You will need to set up your profile in Paycheck8 to input your time and attendance, so you get paid on time. Your supervisor or an administrator for your unit can help you secure the following information you will need to create your profile: your supervisor’s full name and email, your work schedule, job code, override code, and the time & attendance contact point for your unit. This can be updated in Paycheck8 under “Profile Information” or you will be prompted to make the update when you first login.

You can access Paycheck8 from a personal computer, if you do not yet have access to a Forest Service computer. You can call the New Hire Help Desk to receive assistance.

Our pay periods are two weeks long, beginning on a Sunday and ending on Saturday. You will find it helpful to record the hours you work on a daily basis on your phone or in a pocket calendar, then transfer your work hours to your timesheet in Paycheck8 on your last workday in each pay period.  You will be paid by direct deposit every two weeks, starting one week after the end of the first pay period.  

The Human Resources Management (HRM) Personnel Actions Request (PAR) staff will establish and maintain your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). Access your eOPF via the ConnectHR to view your Notification of Personnel Action (SF 50) for your appointment to Federal service, promotions and job changes, annual pay adjustments, and other personnel records. You should download and keep a copy of your latest SF 50 for your records, and you will need it to apply for other federal jobs in the future. 

Check your SF 50 to ensure you understand your appointment type, tenure, salary, retirement plan, effective date, and other details. Be sure to review your eOPF periodically to confirm your annual pay adjustments, changes made to your health or life insurance, within grade increases, and position changes. 

You may call the New Hire Help Desk if you have questions about your SF 50 records or find any errors that need to be corrected. The onboarding webinars cover personnel records. You can learn more about PAR actions in this short video: PAR.

You may be issued equipment such as an access badge to enter a building, a key to Forest Service gates, a computer, or smart phone that you’ll need to accomplish your work. These items are considered FS personal property; you will be responsible for safeguarding the equipment while it's in your possession and returning it to your supervisor at the end of your appointment.

If you are issued such equipment, you will be a "custodian of government personal property." Your supervisor or a property management specialist can assist with the paperwork documenting the property issued to you and help you understand your responsibilities. If any equipment assigned to you is lost, damaged, or stolen, report the loss to your supervisor right away.   

All USDA employees must obtain a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card to access FS or USDA computer systems and many government buildings. Permanent employees get a LincPass while most temporary employees obtain an AltLinc card. Check in with your supervisor to determine if a request for your PIV card has already been initiated or if this is something you need to do. You will receive a username and password for temporary access to USDA systems when you start your job while you complete the steps required to obtain your AltLinc card.

Visit with your supervisor to learn if there are local orientation sessions planned for temporary employees in you unit.

You will need to sign into AgLearn through ConnectHR and verify that mandatory initial training has been loaded in your profile. Mandatory training must be completed in the established timeframes. Contact the New Hire Help Desk if you do not see mandatory training listed in your AgLearn account. Then, remember to check your AgLearn account occasionally throughout your appointment as additional, mandatory training is automatically uploaded.

In addition to the mandatory training, AgLearn is a valuable resource to explore a wide variety of optional training courses to expand your skills. Take time to explore the many learning opportunities that are available to you at no cost.  

If your supervisor indicated you qualify for a uniform allowance or a safety boot allowance, you can request these through the fsweb-based ConnectHR tool. You will need to request the reimbursement within 45 days of purchase to get reimbursed. See Boot Allowance and Uniform Allowance for additional information and to submit requests. Also see instructions for Uniform and Safety Boot Allowances on the Chief Financial Office (CIO) intranet page. She or he can also advise you if there are transit subsidies to help offset the cost of your commute.

Your supervisor will inform and provide information to you if your position is included in a bargaining unit under the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), or the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE).  

  • You can find Forest Service union and labor relations information, including the applicable collective bargaining agreements and the form to request union dues payroll withholding, on the Human Resources Management intranet page: HRM Labor Relations.
  • You may contact your union representative directly; their contact information can be found on the HRM Labor Relations page under Union Contact Information.

During your onboarding process, you received a series of messages which hopefully helped you stay abreast of the onboarding process. Through these messages, you also received several helpful links to general information about the history and culture of the FS, and to specific topics. Here is a summary of those links:

Help Is Available: New Hire Help Desk

877-372-7248, Option 4

HRM_contact_center@usda.gov

Available weekdays from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Mountain Time.