Office of Faculty Affairs

Faculty Onboarding

Paperwork

Your new hire paperwork can be done on your first day or two of employment, or you may even complete this before you begin work. The Harvard T.H. Chan Human Resources Office and your department administrator will help to ensure that you complete the necessary paperwork, get a Harvard ID, and are placed on the payroll to be paid on schedule. 

  1. Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9 form): Under federal law, you must complete this form in person in order to verify your identity and eligibility to work in the United States. You will need to provide documents that prove your identity and employment eligibility within three business days of your employment start date.
  2. Tax withholding forms: Federal W-4 and state tax withholding forms need to be completed and signed. You must also supply your Social Security number.
  3. Authorization agreement for automatic deposit: This form authorizes direct deposit of your pay. You will need to supply a blank check or preprinted bank deposit slip that shows your bank account number. You may do this online in PeopleSoft after you begin working.

Getting Your Harvard ID Card and Claiming Your HarvardKey

Your Harvard University ID (HUID) number and your ID card are your keys to getting started with email, voicemail, your HarvardKey login, and online access to PeopleSoft and other HarvardKey protected tools for employees. With the card, you will also have access to the many facilities, campus services, and perks that come with your employment at Harvard. Once your initial paperwork has been processed, you will receive a Harvard University ID number that can be used to get your photo ID card, your HarvardKey, email address, and more. Your Harvard ID number may be available before your first day of work depending upon when your paperwork is completed, which will let you claim your HarvardKey, but you cannot get a Harvard ID card before your first day on the job.

To get your Harvard ID card:

  1. Complete the I-9 paperwork above
  2. Your department administrator should confirm that a record has been created for you in the human resources database (or, you can check with the ID Office at 617-495-3322 or 617-432-0389 to see if this has happened)
  3. You may then have your photo taken for the ID card at the Harvard ID card at the Harvard Longwood ID Center (Kresge Building Office 119, 677 Huntington Ave) or at any University Campus Service Center.

Claim your HarvardKey:

HarvardKey is the University’s unified login credential for the online applications and services you’ll use every day, including PeopleSoft and HARVie — visit key.harvard.edu and follow the instructions for claiming a new account. To claim your HarvardKey, you’ll need to provide your HUID, your last name, your date of birth and a non-Harvard email address.

Using PeopleSoft

PeopleSoft is Harvard’s HR management tool, and you will use it for many aspects of your employment. You need your HarvardKey to sign in to PeopleSoft; your department administrator can assist you in getting started with PeopleSoft.

Through PeopleSoft you will elect your medical, dental and insurance benefits as a new employee, which must be done within 30 days of your start date, and to make changes to your benefits during benefits annual open enrollment.

PeopleSoft Self Service tools allow you to view your pay check and sign up for direct deposit, update your address and emergency contact information, complete your performance review, and sign up for training. Non-academic staff uses PeopleSoft to enter time sheets, vacation and sick leave.

Getting Paid

Faculty are paid on the last day of each month, unless that day is a weekend or holiday, in which case payday is the last workday prior to the weekend or holiday.

Benefits

Harvard offers a full range of benefits to keep you and your family healthy, provide financial protection in the event of an unforeseen event and help you build long-term security for retirement. Note that you have 30 days from your date of hire or eligibility to enroll in certain benefits. For more information visit https://hr.harvard.edu/benefits-enrollment. Information about faculty-specific benefits can also be found on the Harvard T.H. Chan Faculty Benefits Page.

Human Resources Office

The Harvard T.H. Chan Human Resources Department is located at 90 Smith Street, Roxbury Crossing, Massachusetts 02120 (Tel. 617-432-0979) Click here to view a map location of 90 Smith Street.

Emergency Notification System

You are encouraged to register for MessageMe, Harvard’s emergency notification system. When you sign up, you will receive notification of campus emergencies to your personal electronic device. Please visit http://messageme.harvard.edu/ for more information.

Accommodations and Ergonomics

The Reasonable Accommodation Process, following the guidelines established by Title I of the ADAAA, is a collaborative and interactive process between an employee, Human Resources, the manager/department head, UDR, and/or other subject matter experts.

Academic appointees wishing to initiate the interactive reasonable accommodation process or receive further information should contact University Disability Resources for a consultation. For more information regarding this process, please refer to the following:

For general foundational information regarding ergonomics at Harvard, including adjusting your furniture and office equipment and vendor information, please visit Harvard Environmental Health and Safety.

Employees may complete an ergonomic assessment via EH&S Computer Workstation Self-Assessment & Training program (Harvard Key Login). This program is intended to educate you on the basics of ergonomics and then have you apply this knowledge to adjust your workstation.

Visit the University Disability Resources website or this guide from the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity for more information about accommodations or ergonomics assessments.

Getting Around

 Campus Maps

The school’s main campus for research, teaching, and administration is located in the heart of the Longwood Medical Area (LMA) of Boston. In addition, there are many locations throughout the greater LMA area of Boston and Harvard Campus in Cambridge. See the following maps for help navigating the campus.

Parking and Transportation

The Harvard Transportation Office is committed to providing safe and reliable

transportation and parking for the University community. This includes shuttle and van service, fleet management, parking, and the CommuterChoice Program which offers a number of sustainable transportation options.

Campus Shuttles

The Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization (MASCO) provide shuttle bus service at no charge to all Harvard University officers, staff and students upon presentation of a valid H.U. ID card. These shuttles provide a link between the Harvard Longwood campus to Harvard University in Cambridge, local MBTA stations, off-site parking facilities and more. Buses leave the Cambridge and the Longwood Campuses every ten to fifteen minutes during peak periods and at least once per hour during the rest of the day. Shuttles run from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Schedules and other information can be obtained online at https://www.masco.org/lma-shuttles/m2-cambridge-hms

M2 Harvard Medical School – Cambridge Shuttle

The M2 Shuttle runs between Harvard Medical School and Harvard Square, with a stop near the Landmark Center (401 Park), departing every 30 minutes (every 10 minutes during rush hour). Shuttles depart the Longwood area from Vanderbilt Hall (107 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115). The approximate travel time to Harvard Square is 20-30 minutes. The M2 Cambridge Shuttle schedule can be found here.

You can also download the TransLoc Rider App for real-time schedules and updates for all Harvard Campus shuttles.