Frequently Asked Questions for Employers

 

SEO Website

  • How do I post a job?

From your Job Control Panel (see the JobX drop down menu above), choose the blue "Add a Job" button. If you would like to relist a job you have posted in the past, open the job by clicking on the title in your Job Control Panel and update the status to "Listed." 

 

  • I made a change to an existing job posting, but now it looks like there is another/duplicated job - what do I do?

If you make changes to a listed job, and choose the leave the job listed while your requested changes are reviewed and approved, you will see an additional job number, or "update shadow" in your account. This is for tracking purposes only, and will disappear after your requested changes are made.

 

  • How do I add a team member to a job posting?

To add someone to an existing job, you can open it by clicking on the job title in your Job Control Panel. Choose the blue "Edit this Job" button just above the description, and choose the desired team members in the Secondary Contacts field. Only team members who have created an account on the website, and are assigned to the same department in the website, will appear. Please contact our office if you need assistance. 

 

  • Is it possible to purge an individual applicant from a job applicant list?

No. An alternative approach may be to flag the particular student applicant so that you know he/she should not be contacted. At this time, there is no way to purge an individual applicant from the applicant list. All applicants remain in the applicant pool until you move the job from Listed or Review Mode to Storage. When you move a job to Storage, all applicants and applicant information is purged.

 

  • Because I’m only paying a percentage of my Work-Study student’s earnings can their hourly wage rate be higher than that of my non-Work-Study student?

No. In accordance with the Fair Labor Law (equal wage for equal work) and office policy, students performing the same job must be paid the same hourly wage rate. However, if one student has more direct job related experience, this is an allowable exception.

 

  • Does putting a job in Review Mode purge a job's applicant pool?

No. In fact, placing a job in Review Mode is exactly what you should do when you have enough applicants to make your hiring decision, you want the job posting removed from students' view, and you want to keep your applicant pool. The only way to purge your applicant pool is by moving the job to Storage.

 

  • How can I tell how much longer my job will be posted?

When you open the job from your Job Control Panel, it will display when the job will be de-listed/move into Review Mode.

 

  • If a job is in Storage, does it require Student Employment Office approval when moving it to Review Mode?

Not necessarily. It is easy to move a job from Storage to Review Mode without our approval. The website will automatically give you a choice when moving a job in this way. The first choice is to send the job directly to Review Mode without Student Employment Office approval. The second choice is to have the job reviewed and approved by our office before sending it to Review Mode. The advantage with the second choice is that the job will not need to be approved when you eventually decide to move it from Review Mode to being listed on the site.

 

  • How do I close a job? Does that mean I should delete it?

To remove the posting from the website you can update the job's status to Review Mode. This will save your applicant data and leave the Job ID number active for hiring Work-Study students. If you are done hiring, and will not be hiring Work-Study students, you may move the job to Storage, which will purge your applicant data.

Deleting a job is one step further than closing a job and moving it to Storage. Deleting a job means you are removing the job description and its job reference and posting number entirely from the Student Employment Office website database system. Once you delete a job, you cannot get it back unless you complete a new "Add a new job" form from your control panel (if this occurs, you will also be assigned a new job reference and posting number for the job once it is approved by our office). We strongly urge you to not delete a job unless you are absolutely positive you will never hire a student for the job ever again. If this is a Work-Study job, any hiring forms submitted with the deleted job posting number will not be processed by the Student Employment Office.

 

  • I posted a job as Non-Work-Study, but now I want to hire a Work-Study student - how do I fix it?

You can update the posting by opening it from your Job Control panel and choosing the "Edit this Job" button. Update the Funding source field to include Work-Study, and submit. The job will not be available to hire a Work-Study student until 24 hours after the update has been approved.

 

  • I already have a candidate in mind - do I have to post a job to hire them?

No. If they are a Work-Study student, and they will be hired for a job you have previously posted, you are welcome to reuse that Job ID, so long as it is in Review Mode. If you do not have an existing job posting for the role your candidate will be hired into, you can create a new posting, but choose to list it "Sometime Later." This will give you an active Job ID to hire a Work-Study without advertising the job to other students. If they are not a Work-Study student, you do not need to use the SEO website, unless your internal policy requires you to do so.

 

Hiring and Related Forms

  • What is needed in order to designate a student as a Work-Study employee?

See our Tip Sheet for Hiring and Paying Students (PDF).

 

  • Who must complete the USCIS (formerly INS) I-9 form?

An I-9 must be completed by all students. See the Shared Services Center website for details.

 

  • If a student has a Work-Study award, can the effective date begin prior to the first day of classes?

No. The effective date cannot be before the beginning of an academic period.

 

  • Am I required to submit new hiring materials for a student who was hired in the Fall Term and will be continuing to work for our department in the Winter Term?

No. As long as the Job Classification Title does not change, and the student is receiving Work-Study for both terms, new hiring materials are not required.

 

  • How many hours per week are students allowed to work? Is there a maximum amount of hours a Work-Study student can work?

There are no statutory or regulatory limits on the number of hours per week or per payment period a Federal Work-Study student may work, provided the student does not exceed their award amount. We encourage students to maintain a healthy work-school-life balance and so the Office of Financial Aid recommends that enrolled student employees work no more than 29 hours per week.

 

  • I'm unable to locate the student we would like to hire in the Student Temporary Processing panel, what should we do?

If the student has graduated, has an incomplete graduation date, or is on a leave of absense, they will not appear in the Student Temporary Processing panel. You may contact our office do determine the student's current status, and if they are not an active student, they will need to be hired as a regular temp through e-recruit.

 

  • How long after graduation can a student continue to work?

This varies by department and role. The Shared Services Center has encouraged us to direct employers to their office for specific details. 

 

Work-Study and Work-Study Earnings

  • What is Work-Study?

Work-Study is a financial aid program for students with financial need. Its purpose is to fund new job opportunities for students with need. Students earn the Work-Study funds by performing part-time work for employers who qualify for the program under federal guidelines. These employers pay only a percentage of the student's wages, while the federal government pays the remaining amount. Most University departments are qualifed to be Work-Study employers. Some non-University public and private non-profit agencies may qualify as Work-Study employers if they meet specific guidelines. Employers may email a request to the Student Employment Office (student.employment@umich.edu) to see if they qualify for the program.

To receive Work-Study, students must:

Students who qualify for the Work-Study program will have "Federal Work-Study" listed on their Award Notice listed on Wolverine Access. If a student does not have Work-Study, they do not qualify for Work-Study job listings and they may only apply for the non-Work-Study jobs listed in this site. 

 

  • What percentage of a student's wages are covered by the Federal Work-Study Program at U-M?

Currently, Federal Work-Study covers 60% of the earnings for eligible students. This rate is reviewed annually. This means that if a student is paid $15 per hour, the hiring unit will only need to pay $6 per hour, until the student's Work-Study award has been exhausted.

 

  • Does a Work-Study award amount refer to how much total funding a hiring unit will get?

No. Work-Study is offered based on gross earnings. If a student has a $2,000 Work-Study award, the hiring unit would ultimately receive $1,200. Once the student's gross earnings hit $2,000, their award would be exhausted. This is per federal regulation, and for ease of tracking. Gross earnings can easily be tracked via paystubs, in the student's account, HRMS, etc. 

 

  • Should students contact the Student Employment Office to apply for their Work-Study positions?

No. Students contact the employer directly.

 

  • Can the SEO provide employers with information relating to a student’s Work-Study award, i.e. whether a student has been awarded Work-Study, the amount of a student’s Work-Study award and a student’s Work-Study balance?

Our office can respond to general inquiries concerning whether a student is receiving Work-Study or not. But we are not allowed to disclose information concerning specific eligibility amounts or earned amounts for a student without a signed request from the student.

 

  • Can a student continue to work between the end of the Fall term and the beginning of the Winter term?

Yes, as long as the student is receiving Work-Study for both the Fall and Winter terms.

 

  • If a Student does not earn all of their Work Study award during Fall/Winter is the remaining balance carried over to Spring/Summer?

No. Work Study is awarded for a specific period; Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer.

 

  • I received a message that my student has $500 or less of Work-Study remaining - what do I do?

This is an automateed message to help you track your student's earnings. If you are able to keep the student on without Work-Study funding, no action is required.

 

  • Can a student have more than one Work-Study job?

Yes, as long as the student coordinates their employment with their supervisors and does not work during scheduled class times. We encourage students to maintain a healthy work-school-life balance and so the Office of Financial Aid recommends that enrolled student employees work no more than 29 hours per week.

 

  • How can we keep a student employee after their Work-Study funding is exhausted?

Once a student's Work-Study funding is exhausted, they will automatically become a regular temp student employee, and your department would be billed for 100% of their wages. No action is required from the employer. 

 

  • Because I’m only paying a percentage of my Work-Study student’s earnings can their hourly wage rate be higher than that of my non-Work-Study student?

No. In accordance with the Fair Labor Law (equal wage for equal work) and office policy, students performing the same job must be paid the same hourly wage rate. However, if one student has more direct job related experience, this is an allowable exception.

 

  • Can international students receive Work-Study?
No. The Federal Work-Study Program is a form of federal financial aid, and is not available to international students.
 

Employer Reimbursements

  • What is the 10-Day Rule?

The 10-Day Rule addresses Work-Study funding allocations. To ensure that annual funding is not exceeded, departments will not be reimbursed for Work-Study earnings more than 10 business days prior to the audit date (date hiring page is electronically submitted).

Example:

- Work-Study hire effective date: 9/4

- Hire page submitted: 9/25 (audit date)

- Work-Study reimbursement period back-dated 10 business days: 9/12

- Earnings prior to 9/12 will not be reimbursed; student will be paid as a non-Work-Study temporary for those days

 

  • What percentage is reimbursed to my account?

Currently, employers are reimbursed 60 percent.

 

  • What happens if the student is no longer eligible for Work-Study, but they continue to work for our department?

The student will be placed on payroll as a non-Work-Study temporary employee and the hiring department will be responsible for 100 percent of all wages.