Student Employment Regulations

The purpose of student employment is to assist students in finding jobs that will help defray the cost of their college education; to effectively match potential University employers with the available student work force; and to provide all students seeking employment an equal opportunity to obtain jobs.

Application for Student Employment/Referral: Any department or office requesting applicants for a student employment job should contact the Student Employment Office at 581-3712. The vacancy will be posted on the student employment bulletin board and at http://www.eiu.edu/~finaid/text/jobs.htm/.

Classification/Wage Scale Ranges: Each student employment position is assigned a job class based on skills, experience and nature of the job and paid accordingly. The Job Class/Wage Scale is approved by the Vice President for Student Affairs and reviewed when appropriate. Any changes in wage rates will occur at the beginning of each fiscal year or as mandated by the minimum wage law(s).

Direct Deposit: Effective August 1, 2003, all newly employed students at Eastern Illinois University will utilize Direct Deposit, with exception of those students receiving Federal Work-Study funds. Once enrolled, students shall not revoke participation, but may change accounts or banking facility. All account number or routing number changes must be reported to the Payroll Office.

Drug-Free Workplace: Student employees must comply with the Drug-Free Workplace Guidelines. A copy of the policy is sent to each student, with his or her first student employment contract. A copy of the policy is available at http://www.eiu.edu/~finaid/text/drugfree.htm.

Equal Opportunity: Qualified students will be referred to job vacancies regardless of race/color, gender age, religion, national origin or ancestry, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any basis of discrimination precluded by the applicable federal and state statues.

Enrollment Requirements: A student employee must be enrolled in six or more hours per semester. (For international student requirements, see International Students)

• Special Summer Enrollment Rules: A student employee must be enrolled in six or more semester hours in a summer session unless he/she completed 6 semester hours during the proceding spring semester. Federal Work-Study students must be enrolled in six or more hours without exception. The Director of Financial Aid may make exceptions to the enrollment requirements for the summer on a limited basis when circumstances warrant.

Graduate Assistants: Students with graduate assistantships that do not include a stipend are eligible for on campus employment.

International Students: International students are permitted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to work on campus and must be enrolled full-time (12 hrs for undergraduate or 9 hrs for graduate), unless otherwise cleared by the International Student Advisor/U.S. Immigration (when school is in session August-May). International students enrolled less than full-time must be approved for student employment by the International Student Advisor.

• Employment Eligibility Verification for International Students: International students must complete a new I-9 each year. An international student may be required to complete more than one I-9 per year, if the international student's I-20 expires during a school year. The Federal Form I-9 with documentations must accompany the student Employment Authorization
  
• Summer Rules for International Students: If the international student completed six semester hours in the spring, he/she does not have to be enrolled in classes during the summer in order to work. However, if the student is enrolled for summer classes, the student is limited to 20 hours per week by the DHS. If not enrolled summer, the institutional maximum applies.
  
• Maximum Hours for International Students: DHS limits an international student to 20 hours per week when the university is in session.

I-9 Form - Employment Eligibility Verification: Account Managers are responsible for certifying that new student employees have complied with Employment Eligibility Verification required by Immigration and Naturalization Service of the Department of Justice by completing a Federal Form I-9. The Federal Form I-9 must accompany the Student Employment Authorization.. Always use the I-9 link provided on this web site. This will assure that you are always using the newest form. NEW: Make a copy of the documents that are used to complete the form and send to the Student Employment Office along with the Student Employment Authorization.

Maximum Hours: All students, including Federal Work-Study, are authorized to work a combined total from all campus employment not to exceed 42 hours per pay period when the University is in session. The supervisor may assign fewer than 42 hours to any student. When the University is not in session, a student may work up to 37.5 hours per week provided the student does not displace a certified civil service employee. (For international student requirements see International Students)

• Special Summer Maximum Hours Rule: A student employee may work up to a maximum of 56 hours per pay period during the summer pay periods. The summer pay periods begin after the spring semester is finished and prior to the start of fall semester each year.

Merit Increases: On recommendation of the supervisor, a merit increase may be granted to a student after one year of continuous employment in the same position and each year thereafter on that date. The requested rate may not exceed the appropriate Wage Scale. A new Student Employment Authorization must be sent to the Student Employment Office.

Other Employment at EIU: A student may hold more than one student employment position. The total hours worked in all jobs must be monitored, so as not exceed the maximum allowed by the Student Employment Regulations.

• A student may not hold both a student employment position and a civil service, faculty or Administrative and Professional contract concurrently at Eastern Illinois University.

Overtime Pay: Any student who works more than 40 hours per week (Monday-Sunday) must be paid overtime per federal regulations. Please contact the Student Payroll office for help with the overtime pay process.

Pay Period: Starting December 11, 2006, students will be paid by-weekly on the same schedule as the Civil Service Bi-Weekly Schedule. Students will be paid on a delayed two-week schedule, the same as civil service bi-weekly.

Rollover: Starting with the new bi-weekly schedule, hourly students will no longer have ending dates on their employment contracts. The student will be active until the department completes a Student Job Termination form. Salaried students will require an ending date. If the salaried student is to be reactivated at a future date, another authorization will need to be completed.

Student Employment Authorization Request: Each Account Manager and student employee must sign a Student Employment Authorization Request form and submit it to the Student Employment Office within the Office of Financial Aid. There are two types of Student Employment Authorizations: hourly and salaried. Please complete the correct form based on the wage the student is earning. The student employee should be approved for employment prior to the first date of work to avoid delay in pay or possibility of the student being ineligible for employment. Student Employment Authorizations must be on file in the Student Employment Office by the start of the second week of the pay period to ensure that the student is paid in a timely manner. Payment will be made only to those students authorized for employment by the Account Manager and the student employment advisor as designated by the Director of Financial Aid.

Student Time Worked: A daily time record must be maintained on each student employee. This daily record should be carefully kept and monitored by the student employee supervisor. Student time received after the scheduled due date needs to be submitted separately and will be processed on the next available payroll. Student payroll will be run starting January 2007 on a bi-weekly basis, following the civil service schedule.

Tax Forms: All student employees must complete required tax forms (W-4) in the Student Payroll Office, Old Main, Room 2025, before the end of the pay period in which the student is to be paid.

• Student employee earnings are earned income and therefore subject to all applicable Federal, State and local taxes. Any student who is enrolled in less than six (6) hours will have FICA (social security tax) deducted.

Termination of an Employment Position: If the student's work is not satisfactory or if other conditions make continuance inadvisable, the supervisor may request that the assignment be canceled. If a student employee wishes to be released from a particular employment assignment, the student should notify the supervisor one week prior to the termination date to allow ample time to secure a replacement.

• Upon termination of employment for any reason, the supervisor must immediately notify the Student Employment Office by completing the Student Job Termination form available on the web site. A copy must be sent to Student Employment.

Work Requirements: Each student employee is expected to give careful and conscientious service. Student employees are to work 60 minutes out of each hour they are paid. It is the supervisor's responsibility to make sure that the student employee is paid for time actually worked. No rest time may be credited as time worked except in the case where four or more consecutive hours are worked, when the break of fifteen minutes must be credited. Student employees are covered by the Illinois Worker's Compensation and Occupational Disease Acts and may file claims in accordance with University rules for work-related illness or injury. A student employee is not eligible for paid vacation, paid holidays, or disability, as established by the Benefits Policy.


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Please e-mail Financial Aid for further assistance. East Wing, Student Services Bldg (217) 581-3713 phone (217) 581-6422 fax LAST UPDATED: July 2, 2008 600 Lincoln Avenue | Charleston, IL 61920-3099 E-mail: webmaster@eiu.edu | Phone: (217) 581-5000 (0 on Campus)