Undergraduate & Graduate Student Hourly Employees

Key References: The Federal Work-Study Program & Federal Regulations

I. Purpose

To ensure that any student hired as an hourly employee with the William & Mary and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science has satisfied any obligations to the University and has the information and assistance necessary to facilitate a smooth transition to begin their employment and great work experience.

II. Policy Statement

The University has established a system of student employment as defined in this policy. Student employees are those individuals registered for classes who hold employment in student positions and graduate academic teaching and research assistant positions. All qualified University students are accorded fair and equal opportunity to work.

Overview of Student Employment Procedures for Supervisors The following information is an overview of the student employment process for departments at William & Mary and VIMS. The Financial Aid Office (FAO) offers several types of student employment opportunities. They are as follows:

• Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) – Employers include most campus departments and some off-campus agencies. Students awarded FWS through Financial Aid should notify the hiring department of their FWS awards when applying. FWS employment is not guaranteed. It depends on the student’s job skills, schedule, and available positions. Funds not earned through FWS are not made up from another program.
• Regular Campus Employment – Additional employment funds are available in most campus departments to students whether or not they have been awarded FWS from Financial Aid. The FAO maintains a list of job openings submitted by departments on the On-Campus Student Job Opportunities website.
• Community Employment – There are many opportunities for students to work part-time in Colonial Williamsburg and related businesses. While most of these employers do their own hiring, jobs are sometimes listed with the Cohen Career Center.

Employment Eligibility

The following eligibility guidelines must be met:

1. Students must be accepted for admission to a degree-seeking program.
2. Students must be enrolled in 6 credits for part-time or full-time during the school year.
3. During the summer, students must be enrolled part-time or planning to return in the fall semester if not enrolled.
4. Students who have graduated are not eligible to work past graduation and may not be rehired for the summer as student employees but may be hired as Temporary Employees through HR.
5. A graduate student with a full-time (20 hours per week) assistantship is NOT eligible to work an additional job on campus. There is no exception to this rule. Those working less than 20 hours per week MUST obtain approval from their Dean. The Dean much sign the Student Employment form. Contact Human Resources Office for questions regarding this rule.
6. Non-Degree Seeking, High School, visiting students, or incoming first-year students must be hired through HR.

Hiring Procedures

To hire a student, you must verify that the student is eligible for employment on campus. During the spring and summer, you should assess your needs for student employment so that you will be fully staffed with students within the first two weeks of the fall semester. If you have a position available, please post it at Tribe Careers.

New Federal Work-Study students will be emailed an information packet containing potential employers and procedures before the start of the fall semester. Students are responsible for contacting the hiring department. Supervisors can hire the students they wish, but we strongly encourage you to give first priority to work-study students who depend upon working to help meet their financial needs.

Limitations of hours Students are limited to 29 hours per week during the school year. Students may work in more than one department; however, the total hours worked cannot exceed 29 hours per week. During the spring and summer breaks, students are allowed to work up to 40 hours per week. The departments must monitor hours worked to enforce these limitations. If a student works over 40 hours, the department is responsible for paying the student overtime from the department’s budget.

Hiring and Employing International Students

International students must be certified by the Office of International Studies, possess a Social Security Card, and present the proper ID required for the Eligibility Verification process (I-9) before they can begin work on campus.

If the student provides an F-1 or J-1 visa sponsored by W&M, they may work on campus 20 hours per week during the semester and full-time during breaks.

International Students are not eligible for Federal Work-Study positions. Once a student accepts the position, they must complete the student employment form, the I-9, and the payroll forms. The student must possess a Social Security Card that is valid for employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What if a student does not have a Social Security number? How does one get one?
• Who should I ask if I am not sure if someone is authorized to work on campus?
• Can I hire an international student to work for me privately (e.g., babysitting)?
  • Please contact Emily Bailey, Assistant Director for Immigration Services - International Students, Scholars, and Programs William & Mary, Reves Center P.O. Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795 Tel. 757 221 3437; Fax 757 221 3597

Appointed Students on Payroll

EMPLOYMENT FORMS

The Student Employment Form is completed upon offering employment to the student. Be sure to complete the electronic fillable form accurately in order to ensure prompt processing. Be sure that the signature and contact information is legible, including the student’s section (Part I). Make sure the approver has prior authorization to approve timesheets online. The term is for the fiscal year and updates on July 1 of the upcoming year. Departments are required to immediately notify the Financial Aid Office when there is a change in the employment status of an approver, i.e., change in position, resignation, or retirement.

All international students who have met all of the requirements for student employment must complete Part II of the Student Employment Form. Remember, a student cannot work more than 29 hours per week; international students 20 hours per week. Verify whether the student has other employment on campus and, if so, that this job will not violate the maximum 29 hours per week rule (international students 20 hours per week). If you are paying a student from a grant account, you will need to file the necessary paperwork and submit it to FAO.

• THE I-9 FORM: All student employees of W&M must complete Section 1 of Form I-9 between the time an offer of employment is received and the end of the first day on the job. Please note the I-9 is available as an online form only. The link to this online I-9 should be provided to your new employee. The hiring manager or an authorized person in your Department or Office of Human Resources must use the online I-9 website to complete Section 2 of Form I-9 while examining evidence of identity and employment eligibility within three (3) business days of the date employment begins (the new employee must present original documents identified by the USCIS). Carefully read the acceptable documents list before completing this form. Acceptable documents must be recorded in Section 2 of the form. Provided is the William & Mary I-9 Resources page, which provides guidance on obtaining access if you are new to the E-verify process. It also has useful guides and presentations on working through the I-9 process. The hiring process will be delayed if the online I-9 Form is not completed correctly. Do not print or send I-9 documents through campus mail.

• Risk of Non-Compliance: Failure to properly complete and comply with the online I-9 process as required by law may result in civil monetary, or criminal penalties. The USCIS I-9 Central website provides additional resources such as the Handbook for Employers with full detailed explanations of federal laws and I-9 compliance. If the university receives a fine or penalty because of I-9 non-compliance, the cost of such fine will be charged to the department and/or school responsible for not completing the I-9 timely or accurately.
• Tax Forms: Both the W-4 and the VA-4 must be completed online. When completing the W-4, only answer #5 or #7; for the VA-4, only #1 or #3. Answering both on either form is incorrect and will result in the forms being returned to the student. If a tax form is not processed when the student is set up in the payroll system, the student will automatically be taxed at the highest rate.
• W-4 Status Changes: IRS regulations require employers to remind employees to file a new Form W-4 if their filing status, exemption allowances, or exempt status has changed since their last filing of Form W-4. This notice must be provided by the end of December of each year and must be updated through self-service. A new W-4 is not required if the employee status does not change. The Payroll Office does not accept paper forms of W-4s and VA 4. All updates must be done in self-service.
  • Full-time students are automatically exempt from FICA taxes. In the summer, working students will be taxed for FICA. Students must be enrolled part-time in order to be FICA-exempt. The Payroll Office will verify enrollment.
  • Submit the Student Employment Form to FAO as soon as the student is hired. Students are required to sign up for direct deposit via Banner.

Name, Address & Social Security Number Changes

Students need to make changes to address utilizing myW&M Banner Self-Service. If they cannot complete the address change online, they will need to contact the Registrar’s Office (registrar@wm.edu). Social Security Numbers must be changed in person at the Registrar’s office by providing an original social security card.

RATE OF PAY: The usual starting rate of pay for all newly hired student employees is minimum wage. The minimum wage is currently $11.00 and is subject to change in January 2023. We suggest that upon successful completion of each school year, the hiring department consider increasing the hourly pay depending on the performance of the student worker and the availability of funds. When adjusting the rate of pay, please complete the Student Employment Form indicating “rate change”.

The effective date of the increase should be the first day of a pay period. This will be the 1st or the 16th of the month. This is the day the student begins working at the new rate, not the pay date on which the change is reflected.

Timesheets

Timesheets MUST be filled out using Banner Self-Service. If you have any concerns about student timesheets, you should first contact Student Employment at 221-2427. If it cannot be resolved, the second step would be to contact 1-BANN (2266) for help. An email will go out on the following dates:

HOURLY Email to Employee reminding the employee that timesheet must be submitted for approval 1st & 16th Email to Hourly ONLY

24th & 9th Regular Standard Email

Email to Supervisors reminding them approval is due by 10 AM

6th & 21st Email to Hourly ONLY

25th & 10th Regular Standard Email

The email will go to the student employee the day after the pay period ends. One-time payments should use 10- 24 or 25-9 on the STEP form.

Work Standards

The department sets the standards for student employees to follow. The student should be provided with a written copy of the expectations to have as a reference. Explain these expectations to the student at the beginning of employment. These guidelines can be referred to when justifying performance throughout the school year. If you do not want the student to return in the fall, you should explain this to the student employee. During the course of the school year, students should be given an update on their performances. Give them a chance to improve and to prove themselves to you. Since some incoming freshmen may have never worked before, this is a learning experience for the student and should be handled as such.

Performance Evaluation

Supervisors are asked to complete a Performance Evaluation Form on each student employee at the end of each academic year or upon termination, whichever comes first. Please discuss the evaluation with each student individually. When warranted, negative feedback is not pleasant to give or receive, but students may feel less threatened if the following guidelines are followed:

1. Maintain privacy – Never criticize or make negative comments to a student in the presence of others. 2. Be positive – Begin the discussion on a positive note. Almost all students have a positive attribute. Discuss this first, and then discuss what areas need attention. If the student realizes that the supervisor is trying to help, then the student is more likely to accept and adhere to constructive criticism. 3. Be constructive and specific – Give examples of poor performance and how the performance can be improved. 

Terminating Students

Students must be terminated at the end of the semester if they are not returning to the hiring department or are scheduled to graduate.

Departments must provide a date for the first and last day of work on the Student Employment Form (STEP) when hiring student workers. If an end-of-work date is not provided, then the financial aid office will enter a date into Banner to term the student's employment at the end of the semester or academic year. The department will be sent an email notification of the end date.

If terminating students before the initial end date, departments must complete the Student Employment Form, indicating “termination.” Be specific with the reason for termination and include the effective date of termination. This information will be made available to potential employers requesting verification of employment. STEP form must be sent to the financial aid office within one week of the student's last day of work.

If the department has more than 5 student employees to be terminated, the department may provide a list of students to be terminated in an Excel spreadsheet.

Reasons for termination: studying abroad for a semester, leaves or withdrawals from the university, end of contract, resignation, and dismissal.

When a student graduates (i.e., December graduates), they must be terminated as they are no longer eligible for on-campus student employment.

• “On campus” employment includes companies contracted with W&M that provide services to students (e.g., Sodexo, W& M Bookstore).
• Once a student has graduated, they are no longer eligible for on-campus student employment.
• “On campus” employment includes companies contracted with W&M that provide services to students (e.g., Sodexo, W&M Bookstore).

On-the-Job Duties

All University employees, including student workers, are eligible to receive benefits under the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act for an injury/illness which is incurred in the course of official work-related duties. All claims approved as an occupational injury/illness are processed by a designated insurance company through the University’s Workers’ Compensation Office in Human Resources. Benefits generally include payment of medical expenses and time lost from work.

Should you have any questions regarding these benefits, please contact the Workers’ Compensation Office in Human Resources at 221-3169.

Supervisor's Responsibilities

1. Supervisor should provide the student with a detailed job description and sufficient training to function effectively on the job.
2. Supervisor should establish and maintain a regular work schedule based on the needs of the office and the student’s class schedule.
3. Supervisor should make every effort to give the FWS student sufficient work/hours so that the FWS award may be earned.
4. Supervisor must notify the FAO whenever a personnel change is made for a student employee.
5. Supervisor will be asked to evaluate each student’s work performance at the end of each school year.
6. Supervisor needs to monitor hours and ensure students submit timesheets accordingly.

Supervisor's Rights

1. Supervisor should expect satisfactory job performance from student employees.
2. Student should be reliable, dependable, and prompt.
3. Student should provide prompt notification when being out for illness, exams, etc.
4. Student should give two weeks’ notice when leaving a position before the scheduled time.
5. Students should maintain office confidentiality and complete the Confidentiality Form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Review Student Employment page

Dr. Joseph Dobrota, Director
Ginia Anderson, Student Employment Manager
Kensa Gilliam, Student Employment Coordinator

Office of Student Financial Aid
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795
Telephone (757) 221-2420
Fax (757) 221-2515
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