February 2012 - The Buzz Newsletter

Newsletter for VU Campus Employers

Timesheet Issues - There are too many!

Several student timesheets have not been processed by HR Payroll due to incorrect start/end date or no hiring paperwork received from the department. Some timesheets have been submitted with just a name, often illegible. Student Employment and HR Payroll need a full social security number or employee ID to locate a student correctly. Timesheets have been received without a department budget center. All of this causes delays in payment to the student.

To avoid this issue we advise the following:

1. The day the student is hired complete all hiring paperwork. The effective start date can be prior to the first day they report to work, if the student is paid hourly.
2. If an I-9 is required, send your student immediately to one of the HR I-9 sites, which includes Student Employment. Do NOT let your student report to work without the federally required I-9 being completed. Ask them if this step has been done.
3. Forward student hiring paperwork to Student Employment within three days of the student being hired.
4. It is advisable to leave a future termination date blank on the hiring paperwork if the student employee is on the hourly payroll cycle (must complete timesheets). When your student ceases employment, submit the PAF Turnaround with the correct termination date. A large number of departments put in future termination dates and when the student works past that date they can’t be paid until it is corrected.
5. When completing paper timesheets refer to your copy of the student’s PAF/FWS Action Form or the PAF Turnaround for correct ID and budget center to be charged.
6. Timesheet authorized personnel should always sign a student’s timesheet as well as the student. When this is done you are certifying all the information is correct.

 Students should submit a time sheet every pay period. As an employer it is your responsibility to ensure that your student employee knows of the procedure to complete a timesheet correctly and the deadline to get the timesheet submitted. This is for paper timesheets and electronic timesheets. Students who miss an electronic timesheet submission must complete a paper timesheet. Refer to above to complete it correctly. Late timesheets can lead to over/under payment, incorrect W-2, delayed payroll and incorrect earnings for FWS that can lead to a department paying 100% of the student’s earnings.

Thank you for hiring students and taking the responsibility to ensure they are paid on time and correctly.

Job Codes - Which one do I use?

There are numerous job codes for student employees with different academic classifications. You can reference them on our website at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/studentemployment/employers/job-codes.php.

• Undergraduate students should be limited to 20 hours per week inclusive of all jobs/positions.
• Graduate students are limited to 29.5 hours per week, inclusive of all jobs/positions. Graduate students are students enrolled in Graduate or Engineering School. You would use the Graduate Job Codes for these students.
• Professional students are limited to 29.5 hours per week, inclusive of all jobs/positions. Professional Students are students enrolled in Peabody, Divinity, Owen or Law School.

This information is abbreviated on the job code list to assist you. If you are unsure if a student is a graduate or a professional ask them what school they are enrolled in or you can contact Student Employment front desk at 343-4562.

FWS Students - Termination Date is Coming

To avoid payroll issues for students paid through the Federal Work Study Program, the following will occur this year for FWS Student Employees:

1. All FWS Student Employees will be switched from FWS to Institutional on  04/28/12 for UBA and 05/05/12 for MBB.
2. Some students will work up to or past Commencement. All FWS Student Employees will be terminated on 05/31/12 allowing all time sheets to be processed correctly. If a student is working past 05/31/12 please submit a hiring PAF to Student Employment.
3. All FWS Student Employees that have been switched from FWS to Institutional prior to 04/28/12 for UBA and 05/05/12 for MBB will also be terminated on 05/31/12.
4. All UM1/MM1 FWS Student Employees will be terminated on 05/01/12. If there is a termination on the FWS Action Form after that date the student will be switched to Institutional and termed on the date specified.

Termination Dates for Everyone Else

All student employees should be terminated by 05/31/12 if they are not working over summer. Students can be rehired using a PAF/PAF Turnaround or FWS Action Form in August when they begin employment again. It is advisable to not leave a student active over summer if they are not actually working. When they return to future jobs at Vanderbilt and the old job is still active, the student may not be able to be hired due to the recommended hours per week limitation. Thank you.

Federal Work Study Evaluations

Student evaluations are optional. They are a tool that can benefit your student as they move on or return to your department. Evaluations will be sent via email in March for any FWS Student Employee that has been hired during the academic year of 2011 – 2012. Your department will have until 05/31/12 to complete and send to our office.  

I-9 Process Reminder

There have been a lot of students reporting to Student Employment to do their I-9s without completing Section 1 online. It would be best if your student could do Section 1 before reporting to the I-9 site. Send your student to  www.newi9.com to complete Section 1.

Send your student to one of the I-9 Express Document Verification Sites where they can show their accepted documents . (Click active link for a valid list)  Do NOT collect their identification documents and attach them to the hiring paperwork sent to Student Employment. Send the student!

I-9 Express Document Verification Sites:

• Student Employment – 2309 West End Ave. (Undergraduate      Admissions Building)
• HR Express – 2525 West End Ave.

Post Your Summer Jobs on Hire-A-Dore!

Student Employment receives calls and emails everyday from students looking for employment on campus. Our office refers all students to www.HireADore.com . All Vanderbilt students (undergraduate, graduate and professional) have search access to this job bank.  Department personnel have access to this site to search for student employees. Our goal is to communicate jobs available to those students wanting to work.  Don’t have time to post your position? Shoot us an email, workstudy@vanderbilt.edu and we will post it for you.