Frequently Asked Questions for Employers
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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.
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?
In general, closing a job is moving it to Storage after you have hired all the students you need to fill the position(s). When you do this, the system will prompt you to send e-mail messages to students who did not receive the job. When you close a job by moving it to Storage, you will lose all applicant information for students who applied for the job; if the job was listed on the website, you will also be removing the job posting from the site. Note: Putting a currently listed job in Review Mode simply removes the posting from the website, but does not remove any job applicant information.
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.
Hiring Forms
What employment material is needed in order to place a Work-Study student on the University’s payroll?
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.
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.
Can a department reproduce a blank I-9 form to maintain their own supply?
Yes. Departments may reproduce (photocopy) the I-9 form to maintain their own supply, however, both sides of the I-9 form must be copied/completed.
Where should employment forms be sent?
All student hiring materials, both Work-Study and non-Work-Study, should be mailed to:
Shared Services Center HR (SSC HR)
Wolverine Tower
3003 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1276
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 or state guidelines. These employers pay only a percentage of the student's wages, while the federal or state government pays the remaining amount. Most University departments, offices, and programs are qualifed to be Work-Study employers and receive wage reimbursements from the government. Some non-University public and private agencies may qualify as Work-Study employers if they meet specific guidelines. Employers 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.
Should students contact the Student Employment Office to apply for their Work-Study positions?
No. Students contact the employer directly.
Is there a maximum amount of hours a Work-Study student can work?
While there is no federal regulation limiting the number of hours worked, we encourage practices that limit a student to no more than 29 hours per week.
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 his/her 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.
Can a student have more than one Work-Study job?
Yes, as long as combined, the student does not work more than 29 hours per week, and the student does not exceed his or her Work-Study award.
Because I’m only paying a percentage of my Work-Study student’s earnings can his/her 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.
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.
