New Employee Orientation Content

The "Before You Start" portal is critical to ensuring that you are ready for your first day at the Harvard School of Public Health. Please review all the materials here and please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions. Please note that your department/center administrator or designee is key in making sure you receive access to email, you obtain your Harvard University Identification Number and other elements to successful onboarding. Your offer letter will include the contact information regarding the designated contact within your group.

Employment Authorization (I-9)

Completing the I -9 document is the first step in getting you onboarded at HSPH. Without the completion of this document, the hire process cannot proceed.Regarding the I-9 document:"Employers must complete Form I-9 to document verification of the identity and employment authorization of each new employee (both citizen and non-citizen) hired after November 6, 1986, to work in the United States. In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), employers must complete Form I-9 to document verification of the identity and employment authorization of each new employee (both citizen and non-citizen) hired after November 27, 2011. Employers should have used Form I-9 CNMI between November 28, 2009 and November 27, 2011 ".Instructions for Employment Eligibility Verification, USCIS Form I-9 at

Please work with your department/center administrator or designee to set up a time a few days before your first day to complete your I-9. We recommend 1-2 weeks in advance.

Cambridge - New Employee Orientation

As a supplement to our online resources, Harvard provides an orientation that is open to all staff members. At orientation you will learn about Harvard’s benefits, services and perks, along with the structure and culture of the University. Orientation is also a great opportunity to ask questions and meet other new employees. You should attend a session within your first few weeks.

Orientation schedule

Day and Time: New Employee Orientation sessions for all University employees are held 3 to 4 Mondays each month in Cambridge. Sessions run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A continental breakfast is available at 8:45 a.m.

Place: Room 3318 at the Center for Workplace Development (CWD) located on the third floor of 124 Mt Auburn Street, very close to Harvard Square. Walking and driving directions are available.

Registration is required: Please use the registration form in the portal.

Confirmation Notice: CWD will send an email to the you (using the address provided in the registration request) to confirm the date of the orientation session for which you have registered. While CWD will do everything it can to accommodate first choices, please understand that space is limited and spots fill up quickly.

Questions? Please refer to the list of New Employee Orientation FAQs. Feel free to contact CWD at 617-495-4895 or with any other questions. Your local human resources office is also available to answer questions.

The Longwood Medical Area

The Longwood Medical Area (or LMA) located near Fenway Park, is a flourishing community of students, administrative professionals and healthcare professionals. Consisting of the Harvard Longwood Campus (Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Harvard Medical School) the area also serves as home to several Harvard affiliated medical, academic and research facilities. Among these facilities are the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center, and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. The area also includes several restaurants, retail venues and museums. For an interactive map of Longwood that includes transportation, a complete list of places to eat, as well as places to stay, please visit the MASCO website at the following link:

Watch this video to learn more about the Longwood Medical Area
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Cafeterias in the Harvard Longwood Campus

Elements Café
LOCATION: 1st floor of the NRB at 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur
HOURS: 7:30-11:30 Breakfast at Aliquots
11:30-2:00 Lunch
2:00-3:00 PM Snack
3:00-6:00 Coffee Bar at Aliquots (Closed on Fridays)

Courtyard Café
LOCATION: Located within the Warren Alpert Building
HOURS: 7:30-10:30 Breakfast
10:30-11:30 AM Snack
11:30-2:00 Lunch
2:00-3:00 PM Snack

Atrium Café
LOCATION: 2nd floor Atrium in TMEC
HOURS: Closed for summer

Sebastian’s Café
LOCATION: HSPH Kresge Building, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston
HOURS: Monday-Thursday 7:00am-4:00pm
Friday 7:00am-3:00pm.
Closed weekends and holidays.

Other Restaurants in Longwood?

Click on the Yelp sign to bring to their page for more information!

Coffee Locations

Starbucks: 283 Longwood Avenue, Boston,MA02115
Dunkin Donuts: 1631 Tremont St (Huntington Ave.), Boston, MA 02120
Peet's Coffee: 625 Huntington Ave, Boston MA 02115

Transportation Resources

Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization (MASCO)

MASCO is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing Boston’s Longwood Medical and Academic area (LMA) for the benefit of those who live, work, study or receive care in the area. MASCO offers the following services:

  • Ridematching: Carpools and Vanpools
  • Pool-Aide Parking Program and Emergency Ride Home Program
  • Shuttles: M2 Cambridge/LMA, Ruggles Express, JFK/UMASS (Schedules and GPS tracking available on MASCO’s website)
  • Commute Fit Program
  • Customized Commuting Information
  • ZipCar discounts

To learn more about the services and resources MASCO provides to the HSPH

communityclick here.

The MBTA provides easy and affordable means to reach the Longwood Medical Area. The following subways and buses have stations near the Harvard School of Public Health:

Train/Subways
Buses

By Car

Shuttle Services (MASCO run)

Need further assistance commuting to the area?

This link below provides you a Commute Planning option where you can enter your start and end destination addresses.

Recommended Questions to Ask in Before You Start

This is a new job and it is expected that you will have questions! You may want to reach out to your recruiter, hiring manager and/or your supervisor to ask the following questions:

  • Ask questions to help you feel a little less stressed on your first day, including:
  • Should I bring a lunch my first day?
  • If commuting by car: where do I park my first day/how do I get a parking permit prior to my first day?
  • If commuting by bicycle: where is the bicycle rack closest to the building?
  • What time should I be at work my first day?
  • What is the preferred attire in the group/department?
  • What is the accepted practice for decorating my work space; e.g., can I bring photos from home or other personal items?
  • Will I have a schedule for my first days, such as for meetings or required training?