HireDate

Hire date is the date on which an individual formally becomes an employee of an organization. It is typically recorded in the human resources information system as a core attribute of the employee record. Depending on policy, the hire date may correspond to the date the offer is accepted or the first day of actual work. Some organizations also track an original hire date (the initial date of employment) and an effective or rehire date (the date of the current period of employment).

In HR practice, the hire date is used to calculate length of service and to determine eligibility for payroll, benefits, and retirement programs. It can influence vacation accrual, waiting periods for health insurance, and probationary status. Reports rely on hire date to measure tenure and turnover, and to analyze hiring trends and staffing needs.

In data systems, the hire date is stored as a date value with validations such as not null and not in the future in many contexts. Data governance concerns include format standardization, auditing, and change history. For rehires or internal transfers, policy determines whether the original hire date is retained for tenure calculations or a new date is assigned; many systems maintain both through separate fields.

Practical considerations include that a contract start date may differ from the official hire date, and temporary or contractual hires may have specialized fields. Legal definitions and requirements for hire date vary by jurisdiction, which can affect reporting, tax withholding, and benefits eligibility across organizations and regions.