HR Newsletter October 2024

Publish Date

2024-10-07

Human Resources Newsletter
OCTOBER 2024

Ethics Training

The Illinois State Officials and Employee Ethics Act requires all state public university employees to complete an annual ethics training program. This training is available during the month of October each year, and all faculty, staff, and graduate assistants are required to participate. Training will close at the end of the month, and employees may be subject to disciplinary action if they do not complete the mandatory training by this time.

The 2024 Annual Ethics Act Training for Faculty and Staff is available through 5:00pm CT on October 31, 2024. You may access the training by logging in with your University NetID at the link provided above. Upon completion, you will be able to print a certificate of completion, and you will also receive a confirmation of completion email via your official University email account.

Employees who work in an hourly or more temporary capacity or as a medical resident are required to complete an annual training program that is slightly different from the course completed by more permanent employee classifications. This two-part program includes Ethics Act training and Harassment and Discrimination training. The training is available year-round (January 1 through December 31).

Employee Development Series

Please join us for the next installment of the monthly Employee Development Series: Soft Skills, A Panel Discussion. In addition to technical expertise, soft skills are what make employees great. Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management are all examples of soft skills that are difficult to measure, but have a significant impact in the workplace. What are the most desired soft skills and which ones will aid in the advancement of existing employees? Members from across campus will come together to talk about all things soft skills, from the importance of development them, how to share them, their impact on the workplace, and examples of experiences across campus. Come join us to learn about enhancing your skills to create a positive workplace.

The Employee Development Series is open to all faculty and staff and will be held on October 30, 2024, from 9:00-10:30am in the Student Union Ballroom.

Know Your U: Emiquon 2024

Registration for the Emiquon Nature Preserve event is live! This year's trip will be taking place on October 23, 2024. All permanent Academic Professional and Civil Service employees who have been employed for at least six months are eligible to participate with supervisory approval. Participants will tour the Therkildsen Field Station and public use areas of the nature preserve. If time permits, we will also gather water samples to view in the lab. Attendee spots are limited, so please register now! For more information on the Know Your U program, please visit the HR website.

Form I-9 Requirements

The Form I-9 is a federal requirement to verify the identity and authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. Human Resources would like to share some information that bears repeating and also some recent process updates new to the form. Please reach out to our office with any questions regarding the Form I-9.

Section 1 of the I-9 must be completed on or before the first day of work. Section 2 must be completed within 3 days of the date of hire. This includes weekends and holidays, so please plan accordingly. For best practice, HR recommends completing both Sections 1 and 2 on the same day, if possible, to avoid the potential for non-compliance.
Section 2 must be completed in person with one of our I-9 managers across campus or an authorized representative from another public entity (i.e., public university, library, government agency, etc.). If you would like to know more about options for authorized representatives, please reach out to the HR office. Acceptable documents must be original and current.
In the event that a Form I-9 results in a Tentative Non-Confirmation (TNC), the TNC notification must be given to the employee either in-person or by mail and email within 5 days of receipt.

Professional Staff Leadership Academy

Applications for the Professional Staff Leadership Academy are now being accepted. Through relationships built across the University of Illinois System, the program uses the knowledge of University staff, executives, academic theory, and practical applications to foster an environment where leaders can emerge.

The deadline to apply is Friday, October 25, 2024. To view program goals, curriculum, conference dates, and information about the application process, please visit the Professional Staff Leadership Academy webpage on the System Human Resource Services website.