New staff should generally complete responsible-service training:

New staff should generally complete responsible-service training and obtain any required certification before or soon after they begin serving alcohol, in line with legal requirements and house policy. Allowing untrained staff to serve alcohol — especially where certification is legally required — exposes the establishment to violations and the new server to mistakes. Timely training ensures every server understands ID checking, intoxication, and refusal procedures from the start. Managers are responsible for onboarding staff into responsible-service practices promptly, rather than letting training lag behind their first shifts.