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The Research Foundation for SUNY at 91���� (RF) is a separate employer from SUNY and 91����. All individuals who have not been employed by RF Human Resources (RFHR) in the past are considered new employees, even if they have been previously employed by SUNY or the University. With the Research Foundation you have two main methods of getting someone hired.  They include directly appointing someone to our payroll or posting a position (link to recruitment page) for applicants to apply.  Both options have process steps that need to be followed in order to make this a smooth hiring experience and to comply with many local, state, and federal laws/policies.

Appointing an employee to payroll is a common option for hiring managers.  This is typically done when hiring a preidentified undergraduate/graduate student for a short period of time.  This is also an option when you are looking to hire a preidentified employee for less than one year (Note: if you plan to hire someone for more than one year or choose to extend an appointment of a short-term hire beyond one year a search is required to fill that position. The only exception is the 2-year waiver of search for Postdoctoral Associates. Please engage with the HR with questions on this policy). Below you will find a detailed step guide to support your appointment of a new hire.

Hiring Process

Once you have selected a candidate, follow the process below to hire them and place them on the RF payroll.  The details below outline several steps that need to be completed prior to a new hire starting their RF employment. These steps are time-sensitive and critical in ensuring a smooth hiring experience. If at any point you have questions please do not hesitate to reach out to RFHR.

Step 1: Submit an appointment form

To appoint a new employee on the RF payroll, the hiring manager must first submit an appointment form (hereafter “e-Form”) online through . The e-Form notifies RFHR that a new employee will be working for the RF and must be placed on the RF payroll. The e-Form also gives RFHR all of the information required for the RF’s business system to process payment for the employee. Given the large amount of information the RF’s business system requires, the e-Form will indicate to hiring managers which information is required. For more information on the different types of requests you can submit through My91����, refer to the Appointment tab on the RFHR website.

• When do I need to submit an e-Form for my employee?

  To determine when you should submit an e-Form for your employee, please refer to the RF Payroll Deadlines and New Hire Start Calendar. It is highly recommended to start your new employee on one of the designated New Hire Start Dates and submit their e-Form at least two weeks prior to their first day of work. The new hire must also complete their New Hire Welcome Packet and Form I-9 timely once received from RFHR to avoid potential delays in processing. Following these guidelines allows RFHR time to create the employee’s profile in our local systems and engage with SUNY/91���� on added accounts/access prior to their first day of work.

• I’m not sure if my employee has been employed by the RF in the past. How should I complete the e-Form?

  If you are not sure if your employee has been employed by the RF in the past (and they are not sure either), please complete the e-Form as if they are a new hire. Once we receive their appointment form, RFHR staff will determine if your employee needs to complete additional paperwork and if yes, will contact them directly. If your employee does not believe they have ever been employed by the RF, please do not allow them to begin work until they confirm they have not been contacted by RFHR.

• My new hire also has another campus job. How many hours can they work each week?

  This will depend on the type of employee you are hiring. If they are a regular employee, you will need to engage with RFHR to assess their employment type and make a final determination.

If it is a student hire, students can generally work up to and including 29 hours per week (cumulative between all campus employment while classes are in session). However, if your new hire is a foreign national in the US on a student visa, they cannot work more than 20 hours each week per the terms of their visa employment eligibility. The office of International Student and Scholar Services has additional information on their website on this topic.

Step 2: Employee completes a new hire e-Packet

Upon receipt of an e-Form for a new employee, RFHR will send the employee a New Hire Welcome Packet (hereafter “e-Packet”) to complete in Interview Exchange. When the e-Packet is sent, the employee will receive an email from info@interviewexchange.com containing a link through which the e-Packet is accessed. The e-Packet contains all of the paperwork the employee must complete, including the Form I-9.

Additionally, RFHR sends a separate email to the employee from rfhr@binghamton.edu which contains additional guidance as well as a link through which the employee schedules their appointment to present documents for their Form I-9. Until both the e-packet and document appointment are completed, the new hire cannot be placed on the RF payroll. If the new hire is unable to complete their document appointment prior to their first day of work, please have them report to the RFHR office on their first day during business hours to present their documents.

• I didn’t receive an email with the e-Packet link. What do I do?

  If your supervisor submitted the e-Form to RFHR and you have not received the e-Packet email (this is usually sent within two business days), please check your Spam/Junk folders as email providers occasionally flag the e-Packet email as potential spam. If you still do not see an email from info@interviewexchange.com, please contact RFHR.

• I don’t see tax forms or a Direct Deposit form in my e-Packet. How do I provide this information?

  Employees provide this information to RFHR through the RF Employee Self Service portal after they receive their RF ID number (see Step 5 below).

Step 3: Employee presents Form I-9 documents

To complete the Form I-9 they began in Interview Exchange, the employee is required to schedule an appointment with RFHR to present documents that prove identity and authorization to work in the United States. The RF is a federal contractor/subcontractor and is thus required to verify identity and work authorization for each new hire through E-Verify. By law, the employee must prove identity and work authorization prior to beginning work by presenting original, unaltered documents (please refer to USCIS’s website for guidance on which documents to present). Once the employee brings the appropriate documents to their appointment, they can begin working.

Note: For new employees to begin working and receiving payment for their efforts, their e-Form must be submitted to RFHR, their e-Packet must be completed, and their I-9 documents must be presented by the deadlines listed on the RFHR website. If any item is not completed by its corresponding deadline, processing of payments may be deferred to the next payroll cycle. The volume of payroll requests RFHR receives fluctuates throughout the year and adhering to deadlines allows RFHR to manage changing workloads.

*For regular employees only (not students or faculty):

Once an employee has completed their online new hire packet and in-person visit with RFHR to finalize their Form I-9, our office enters their data into the SUNY Secure system. This centralized SUNY portal then creates the employee's B# and 91���� email (or Bmail).  This can generally take up to 3 overnights to process and our office checks the system regularly for completion. Once the B# and Bmail are established, our office submits a ticket to our ITS team so that they can establish access to the employee's Bmail.  ITS will then directly communicate with the employee with step-by-step instructions on how to gain access to their Bmail. This ticket also allows ITS to create the employee's profile in the directory.  At the same time, RFHR also emails the new employee's supervisor (copying the new employee), with directions on how to request a campus ID, information on parking services, and other HR-related information.

• I completed the Form I-9 in the e-Packet. Do I still need to set an appointment to present documents?

  Yes! Presenting documents in person is part of the process for RFHR staff to complete their portion of the Form I-9. Federal requirements specify that we must examine documents in the presence of the employee.

• What kind of documents do I need to bring?

  Acceptable documents for the Form I-9 are outlined by US Citizenship and Immigration Services. On their website, they explain the rules regarding which combinations of documents employees may use on .

• I don’t have original documents on hand. Can I present a copy, scan, or picture of my document?

  No, federal law requires that RFHR accept only original, unaltered documents.

Step 4: RFHR staff reviews all submitted paperwork

During the first week of the pay period in which the new hire will be paid, RFHR reviews all submitted forms for the employee. Due to consistent audits as a condition of doing business, RFHR employs multiple rounds of review for every payroll transaction. This additional review, or “triage” stage, is an in-depth review of the information submitted by the hiring manager to verify the appointment meets federal and state regulatory requirements as well as abides by RF policy and sponsor guidelines. RFHR also determines benefits eligibility at this stage. If any information is not adequate or needs clarification, RFHR contacts the hiring manager to obtain what is needed to allow timely payroll processing.

Step 5: RFHR staff processes submitted information to generate payments

Following successful review of all submitted paperwork, RFHR manually codes personal information, payroll, benefits, and labor distribution information for the new employee into the business system.

Once the employee’s appointment information is coded, RFHR sends the employee instructions via email regarding how and when to provide Direct Deposit and tax withholding information in the RF Employee  portal. Employees provide information in this secure portal to reduce the likelihood of their information being compromised. RFCO has informed the campuses that there have been several attempted breeches of information surrounding Direct Deposit, and this concern resulted in the RF strongly recommending campuses use the Employee Self Service portal for Direct Deposits. In general, Direct Deposit and tax information must be entered by the new employee into RF Employee Self Service by 6PM on the Tuesday immediately preceding pay day (Friday). If no Direct Deposit information is entered by that time, a paper check is generated and mailed to the employee’s home address on file via the US Postal Service. Please note, you will only have employee self service access (i.e. options to update your account) once your appointment begins. Should this result in an inability for you to complete your direct deposit before the above deadlines, please notify RF HR immediately.

• I haven’t received my RF ID number. How can I obtain it?

  Your RF ID number is sent from the email address RFHumanResources@rfsuny.org. Email providers occasionally sort this email into Spam/Junk folders, so the email may be in one of your inbox folders. If the email is not in your Spam/Junk folder or Inbox, please call RFHR to obtain your RF ID. RFHR requires identity confirmation prior to providing RF ID numbers to employees, so employees must call the RFHR office directly rather than request their RF ID via email.

• I didn’t sign up for Direct Deposit. Can I pick up my paycheck at the RFHR office?

  Unfortunately, employees cannot pick up physical paychecks at the RFHR office. Physical checks are printed offsite and mailed directly to the employee’s home address on file from the printing facility.

• I was issued a physical paycheck that was mailed, but I haven’t received it yet. Can you tell me where it is or when I will receive it?

  When paychecks are mailed, they are sent via first class US Postal Service mail but the RF is not given tracking information. Generally, paychecks are delivered no later than one week after pay day. If an employee has not received their physical paycheck after that date, please contact RFHR to request a reissued payment.

• I entered my Direct Deposit information in RF Employee Self Service. How do I know if my changes were saved successfully?

  If you successfully added your Direct Deposit information in Self Service, you will receive a confirmation email. If you have additional questions please contact RFHR.

Step 6: Payroll Finalizes

Before payroll is complete, RFHR reviews transactions for accuracy and fixes any errors. All payroll data, including pay methods (e.g. Direct Deposit instructions) finalize at 6PM on the Tuesday immediately preceding pay day (Friday). After this point, no data can be changed before pay day.

• I entered my Direct Deposit information in RF Employee Self Service. How do I know if my changes were saved successfully?

  If you successfully added your Direct Deposit information in Self Service, you will receive a confirmation email. If you have additional questions please contact RFHR.

Step 7: Pay Day / Submit Timecards or Leave Records

Every two weeks on Friday, employees are paid. Note that salaried employees are paid current and hourly employees are paid on a two-week delay.

• What does “paid current” mean??

  “Paid current” means you are being paid for your time in the two weeks immediately preceding the pay day – you are not being paid on a delay.

  • If the “current” pay period is Monday the 1^stthrough Friday the 12^th, being paid current means when you are paid on the 12^th, you are being paid for your time from the 1^st through the 12^th.

  If you experience more than 2 weeks’ delay between when you start work and receiving your first check, the delay may be due to late submission of an appointment form, new hire paperwork e-packet, or presentation of Form I-9 documents. Please feel free to contact RFHR with any questions you may have.

• Why are hourly employees paid on a two-week delay?

  Before RFHR can pay an hourly employee, the employee must submit a timecard showing how many hours they worked for the pay period. However, employees cannot submit timecards for time they have not yet worked, so they must submit their timecards after they complete work for a given pay period.

  Following receipt of timecards approved by supervisors, RFHR reviews the timecards and verifies all of the necessary information is present and sufficient to generate a payment. Given this and the requirement to submit a timecard at the end of the period worked, the soonest a payment can be issued is the following pay day.

  E.g. If an employee starts working between the 1^st and the 12^th, rather than being paid on the 12^th, the employee completes their timecard at the end of the pay period, obtains approval from their supervisor, and the timecard is sent to RFHR for review. If the timecard is received by RFHR before the deadline, the timecard is reviewed and processed to be paid on the following pay day – two weeks from the last day of the pay period on the submitted timecard.

  Payroll Dates/Dates Worked	Timecard Due to RFHR	Pay Day
  Monday the 1st – Friday the 12th	Wednesday the 17th	Friday the 26th

• I am paid on a salary basis. Why do I need to submit a timecard or leave record?

  Even when an employee is paid a salary, they must still submit documentation that certifies they were either present at work or charging Paid Time Off (PTO) for any time not worked. These records are required as one component of the effort certification process required for all sponsored awards (the funding for most employment with the RF). RFHR will contact new employees to provide guidance on how to complete either a biweekly timecard (nonexempt employees) or monthly leave record (exempt employees).

Additional Information

As an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer, The Research Foundation for SUNY will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy-related conditions, reproductive health decisions, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, familial status, citizenship, physical and mental disability, prior arrest or conviction record, genetic characteristics/genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, military status or service, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under federal, state or local law. The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.