Contents

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Employer Policies for Rutgers University Newark and New Brunswick:

• Office of Career Exploration and Success (New Brunswick)

• Career Development Center (Newark)

• Rutgers Business School Office of Career Management (Newark and New Brunswick)

Contents

Rationale for Employer Policies .......................................................................................................... 2

Employer Policies ................................................................................................................................ 2

Recruiting Interns ............................................................................................................................... 3

Recruiting Volunteers ......................................................................................................................... 3

Teach/Volunteer Abroad Companies .................................................................................................. 3

Third-Party Recruiters ......................................................................................................................... 4

Commission-Based Jobs ...................................................................................................................... 4

Start-ups ............................................................................................................................................. 5

Home-Based Businesses...................................................................................................................... 5

Marijuana/Cannabis Industries ........................................................................................................... 5

Alcoholic Beverages ............................................................................................................................ 5

Exceptions to Policies and Guidelines ................................................................................................. 5

Grievances .......................................................................................................................................... 6

Recruiting & Job Posting Guidelines.................................................................................................... 6

Postings in Handshake/BusinessKnight............................................................................................... 6

Interviewing Program ......................................................................................................................... 6

Confidentiality of Student Information ............................................................................................... 7

Employment Eligibility ........................................................................................................................ 7

Job Offer Policies ................................................................................................................................ 7

Timing for Offers and Decisions .......................................................................................................... 8

Exploding Offers/Excessive Pressure .................................................................................................. 8

Full Disclosure ..................................................................................................................................... 8

Rescinding Employment Offers ........................................................................................................... 8

Consequences ..................................................................................................................................... 9

Resources ............................................................................................................................................ 9

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Rationale for Employer Policies

By acting in accordance with these policies and guidelines, individuals and organizations can help Office

of Career Exploration and Success (CES), the Career Development Center (CDC), and RBS Office of Career

Management (OCM) maintain a professional, fair and successful recruiting environment for all parties

concerned. Your use of both our services and the Handshake or BusinessKnight platform constitutes

your binding agreement to the following policies.

NOTE: These principles are not all-inclusive; they are intended to serve as a framework within which the

career planning, placement, and recruitment processes should function, and as a foundation upon which

professionalism can be promoted.

Employer Policies

CES, CDC, and OCM at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark and New Brunswick,

maximize employment and internship opportunities for its students by offering a range of services to

facilitate recruitment of prospective candidates. CES, CDC, and OCM requires that any recruiting

organization or individual utilizing services, must abide by all applicable federal, state, and local

employment laws, including Equal Employment Opportunity laws, Rutgers University rules and

regulations, and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Ethical

Professional Practice. You may refer to a detailed list of resources outlining these laws, rules,

regulations, and standards at the conclusion of this document.

The Handshake system (for CES and CDC) and the BusinessKnight system (for OCM) are the web-based

portals for publicizing all bona fide full-time, part-time, seasonal, and short-term positions as well as

other recruiting activities for small and large businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations,

on-campus employers, households, and individuals. All recruiting organizations or individuals are

expected to accurately describe their organizations, positions and position requirements when posting

their information on Handshake/BusinessKnight or when representing their firms and opportunities at

any campus recruiting events. Companies and/or job postings requiring donations, application and/or

background check fees, fundraising, investments, payment for training, or payment to participate, or

offering items or services for sale, will not be provided recruitment services.

We reserve the right to refuse service to employers at the discretion of the CES, CDC, and/or OCM staff

due to any objectionable activities, including, but not limited to:

• requiring personal information at the time of application, such as bank and social security

numbers

• misrepresentation, whether defined by dishonest information or absence of information;

• fraud

• harassment of students, alumni, or staff

• breach of confidentiality as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

• failure to adhere to CES, CDC, and/or OCM employer guidelines

• any violation of Rutgers University rules and regulations

• any violation of local, state, or federal laws

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Recruiting Interns

Employers recruiting interns must abide by all policies including the criteria set forth by the National

Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional

internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a

legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:

1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for

applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the

operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.

2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.

3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired

qualifications.

4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the

student’s academic coursework.

5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional

background in the field of the experience.

6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.

7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support

learning objectives/goals.

Also note that for any internship considered for credit bearing purposes at Rutgers University, it is the

student’s responsibility to have the internship duties, learning outcomes, or goals vetted by their

respective academic department. Students will need to check with CES, CDC, or OCM regarding any

unpaid or stipend internship opportunities for credit. Internships do not involve more than 20% clerical

work.

Internships with for-profit companies should be paid at least minimum wage. For-profit companies

offering unpaid, stipend, and/or internships that require credit must uphold the

Department of Labor’s

Fair Labor Standards Act Internship Fact Sheet #71 (link is external/in resources) 7-factor "primary

beneficiary test".

For hosting internships in certain industries, employers may qualify for reimbursement up to 50 percent

of wages paid to new interns, up to $1,500 per student through the

Many Paths, One Future Internship

Grant Program

Recruiting Volunteers

Organizations recruiting volunteers must be classified as either non-profit or governmental agencies and

will be permitted to post on Handshake/BusinessKnight and will be provided additional services on a

case by case basis. Private, for-profit companies will not be permitted to post volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer positions must support public service, religious or humanitarian objectives and the activity

must benefit the community at large. There must be no expectation of compensation or entitlement to

a paid position at the conclusion of the experience. Volunteer positions are typically short term, lasting

less than 6 months, and only require a few hours per week of commitment.

Teach/Volunteer Abroad Companies

CES, CDC, and OCM will not approve teaching or volunteer abroad positions in

Handshake/BusinessKnight, requiring any fees or payments of any kind. CES, CDC, and OCM reserve the

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right to deny services to companies who place and organize teacher/volunteer abroad positions due to

the financial requirements of the applicants to partake in such opportunities

Third-Party Recruiters

CES, CDC, and OCM define third-party recruiters as agencies, organizations, or individuals recruiting

candidates for temporary, part-time, or full-time employment opportunities for other organizations

rather than for internal positions. Third-party recruiters may utilize Handshake/BusinessKnight,

participate in on-campus recruiting and attend select career fairs. They will be required to verify in

advance whether they are recruiting for their own organizations or for their clients. Third-party firms

who are recruiting for positions within their own organizations must clearly differentiate those

opportunities from their client engagements. CES, CDC, and OCM will not provide services to

organizations wishing to promote their job board or website. Positions posted in

Handshake/BusinessKnight by third-party employers must be individual, specific, and for an active

opportunity.

Third-party recruiters representing client organizations must:

• Verify that they charge no fees of any kind to student or alumni applicants;

• Identify themselves as a third-party recruiter in their employer profile and all client job

announcements;

• Provide to CES, CDC, and/or OCM in advance a list of the employer clients for whom they are

recruiting, and, if requested after review, provide a copy of the retainer(s) signed by their

employer client(s) authorizing them to act as their sole campus representatives;

• Provide accurate position descriptions and include specific client names in all jobs posted

on Handshake/BusinessKnight;

• Only release candidate information provided to the identified employer in accordance with the

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Re-disclosure of candidate information to any

other parties is not permitted.

Commission-Based Jobs

Positions that include commission-based compensation must fully disclose the compensation structure

in any job posting or at any on-campus recruiting event. These positions will be service eligible on a case

by case basis.

Multi-Level or Network Marketing Organizations and Franchise/Business Opportunities are eligible to

participate in employer services on a case by case basis. Such organizations are those that engage in one

or more of the following practices:

• Sponsors an individual in setting up his/her own business for the purpose of selling products or

services and/or recruiting other individuals to set up their own business (Direct Sales

Organizations).

• Requires an initial investment from individuals with the organization itself serving as an

umbrella or parent corporation. The initial investment may be, but is not limited to, direct

payment of a fixed fee, payment to attend an orientation or training session, and/or purchase of

a starter kit.

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• Compensates in the form of straight commission, fees from others under their sponsorship in

the organization, and/or a percentage of sales generated by others, but not limited to, the

candidate’s name, employer, and salary).

Start-ups

CES, CDC, and OCM have established these criteria for identifying appropriate entrepreneurial

employment opportunities for promotion through its services. Start-ups must have progressed

sufficiently in their business development process so that they can:

• Provide a company name, business address, website and email address, and identify a principal

as the key contact;

• Verify that they are not seeking potential partners or investors;

• Confirm that they have obtained the necessary business licenses and Tax ID’s as well as

sufficient funding, including identifying their funding model and investors, if requested;

• Offer positions for pay, not just for equity; see Compensation and Fees.

• Provide clearly defined organization and position descriptions in Handshake/BusinessKnight.

Those ventures which cannot meet these guidelines may contact CES, CDC, and/or OCM at a later stage

to discuss access to services.

Home-Based Businesses

These organizations are ineligible to participate in any of CES, CDC, and OCM’s employer services.

Marijuana/Cannabis Industries

Rutgers CES, CDC, and OCM will not accept positions related to the use or distribution of recreational or

medical marijuana. As the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level and Rutgers receives federal

funds, we must comply with federal law.

Alcoholic Beverages

In compliance with the University's policy and NACE’s Principles for Ethical Professional Practice

prohibiting the use of alcoholic beverages, employers should not serve alcoholic beverages at any

employer-related functions held on or off campus.

• National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) Principles for Ethical Professional Practice:

http://www.naceweb.org/career-development/organizational-structure/principles-for-ethical-

professional-practice/?utm_source=nace-revised-

principles&utm_medium=email&utm_content=txt&utm_campaign=content (link is external)

• Rutgers University’s Alcohol and Drug Policy: https://visiting.rutgers.edu/policies/alcohol-and-

drug-policy

Exceptions to Policies and Guidelines

CES, CDC, and OCM reserve the right to make exceptions to these policies and guidelines as warranted

by special circumstances, i.e., in certain situations deemed to be acceptable and beneficial to our

students, CES, CDC, OCM, the University, or recruiters using our services. Such exceptions will be

considered on a case-by-case basis. Any exception made does not constitute a change in policy, nor is

there a guarantee that this same decision will apply in the future.

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Grievances

CES, CDC, and/or OCM staff will investigate all allegations by users of our services about job postings,

employers, or work assignments. During an investigation, we may revoke an employer’s use of our

services. If CES, CDC, and/or OCM determine that a complaint is justified, we may choose not to offer

recruiting activities to the employer. CES, CDC, and/or OCM will notify the employer in writing of the

decision. Such grievances may be grounds for a report to the National Association of Colleges and

Employers (NACE), and subsequent removal from the Handshake/BusinessKnight system(s).

Recruiting & Job Posting Guidelines

All bona fide full-time, part-time, seasonal, and short-term positions and other types of recruiting

opportunities for organizations that abide by the Employer Policies noted above, may be posted on

Handshake/BusinessKnight. However, on-campus recruiting (info sessions, career fairs, interviews,

tabling) is intended for use by organizations recruiting for paid full-time, part-time and internship

positions. On-Campus Recruiting is not intended for use by organizations recruiting volunteers.

Graduate Programs are also permitted to post on Handshake/BusinessKnight and partake in select on-

campus recruiting activities.

Postings in Handshake/BusinessKnight

Preselection Screening Criteria: Major, school year, GPA, and work authorization are screening criteria

used for positions in Handshake and BusinessKnight. Any student who meets these job requirements (as

determined by the employer) and submits a resume will be deemed a "fully qualified" applicant. In

Handshake only: other interested students who do not match the screening criteria will still be able to

see the posting and submit resumes. They will appear as "not fully qualified" candidates for your

consideration. In BusinessKnight, your screening criteria will be followed and only fully qualified

candidates will be able to apply. Therefore, enter your screening specifications carefully, to ensure the

best possible "fully qualified" applicant pool. Note: Postings that request donations, fundraising,

application fees, or investments cannot be listed on Handshake/BusinessKnight.

Interviewing Program

Due to these uncertain times, please note interview and employer information session requests shall be

virtual until further notice. We will work with you to make revisions, as needs change or circumstances

allow. Contact the respective career services (CES, CDC and OCM), office to schedule your interviews.

• Keep in mind, last minute cancellations and no-shows will negatively affect your campus image

among students who expect to interview with your organization. CES, CDC, and/or OCM may

also choose to revoke your interviewing privileges in the future if you fail to cancel or comply

with our timeline. To cancel a visit please phone or email the hosting office (contact information

in resource list).

• "ROOM ONLY” Interview Schedules: CES, CDC, and/or OCM will continue to offer this option to

those not wishing to collect applicants via Handshake/BusinessKnight. If you do not use our

web-based system to schedule interviews, we require a finalized list of candidates and

appointment times to be submitted to the hosting office, 72 hours or three business days in

advance of your campus visit. In addition, an email message confirming the interview must be

sent to each student three days prior to the interview date.

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Confidentiality of Student Information

By completing the Handshake/BusinessKnight registration form and submitting resumes and other

application materials for opportunities posted on Handshake/BusinessKnight students provide CES, CDC,

and

/or OCM authorization to release employment materials to those selected prospective employers.

Employment professionals must maintain the confidentiality of all student information released to

them, regardless of the source, including personal documents, written records/reports, and computer

databases. This means that there should be no disclosure of student information to another

organization without the prior written consent of the student, unless necessitated by health and/or

safety considerations, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

Employment Eligibility

In compliance with the Department of Justice's rulings regarding citizenship discrimination and best

practices for online job postings, Rutgers CES, CDC, and OCM do not screen candidates in

Handshake/BusinessKnight based upon employment eligibility. Employers may include employment

eligibility information in their Handshake/BusinessKnight job descriptions as a point of information for

potential candidates so that the candidates may self-screen.

Employers are encouraged to consult with their legal counsel and establish legally permissible internal

screening procedures before posting jobs or recruiting on campus. CES, CDC, and

/or OCM reserve the

right to modify or remove any statements or job postings that include any potentially illegal or

discriminatory language.

More information regarding the DOJ's decisions can be found at:

http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc/htm/best_practices.php (link is external)

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/May/11-crt-705.html (link is external)

Compensation and Fees

• Employers offering paid positions must pay at least the New Jersey State minimum wage or the

applicable local minimum wage if higher (calculated over any time scale such as hourly, weekly,

semi-monthly, monthly or annually).

• Cryptocurrency, bitcoin, tokens, fiat or equity are not acceptable forms of payment.

• Commission Sales Positions: If no initial base salary is provided, the form of remuneration

should be clearly stated in the employer's job descriptions and at the time of the initial

interviews.

• Postings that request donations, fundraising, application fees, or investments cannot be listed

on Handshake/BusinessKnight.

CES, CDC, and

/or OCM reserve the right to remove job listings on Handshake/BusinessKnight or decline

further service to those employers who do not abide by these compensation/fee guidelines.

Job Offer Policies

Rutgers CES, CDC, and OCM strive to support employers with their recruiting efforts and assist our

students in making informed career decisions. Thus, we expect that all employers abide by the following

offer policy which allows students sufficient time to carefully consider employment options and act in

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accordance with the

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles of Professional

Conduct which state,

“Employment professionals will refrain from any practice that improperly influences and affects

job acceptance. Such practices may include undue time pressure for acceptance of employment

offers and encouragement of revocation of another employment offer.”

CES, CDC, and OCM understands that the landscape of recruitment is very competitive, especially when

searching for the best talent. We have established these guidelines to provide students and employers a

fair, transparent and up-to-date framework for managing the offer phase of the recruitment process.

Timing for Offers and Decisions

Students need time to make informed decisions when comparing and responding to offers. To facilitate

this process, please provide students with a MINIMUM of two weeks from the date of the written

offer, but preferably longer, to accept or decline.

Rutgers Business School Guidelines:

Type of Offer Student Responds By

Full-time offer extended after summer

internship

Minimum of 2 weeks or September 4

th

whichever is later

Internship or Full-time offer extended during the

Summer or Fall semester for a start date after the

fall semester

Minimum of 2 weeks or October 2

nd

whichever

is later

All other offers

Minimum of 2 weeks

In some cases, students may ask for extensions beyond this deadline; we encourage you to

accommodate their requests whenever possible.

Exploding Offers/Excessive Pressure

An exploding offer is any offer that does not conform to the aforementioned timetables. Employers

should not make offers or pressure students to accept “early” offers including those requiring a quick

response time, nor should they attach incentives involving diminishing bonuses, reduced options for

location preferences, etc. Further, asking a student to make a decision on the spot is also considered

inappropriate.

Exploding offers put undue pressure on students to make decisions before completing the interview

process and does not give them ample time to weigh employment options and make informed

decisions. We discourage students in making rushed decisions about offers for which they cannot fully

abide. Such hasty decisions create discord and distress for all parties involved.

Full Disclosure

All offer letters must include a start date, geographic location of position, and salary or compensation

details.

Rescinding Employment Offers

We strongly encourage employers to consider every alternative before revoking an offer of

employment. NACE recommends that employers who must revoke a commitment demonstrate they

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have done everything possible to avoid rescinding offers, and to then consider alternatives. Before

rescinding an offer, please notify our office to explore alternatives and share relevant circumstances. We

also stress to every Rutgers University-New Brunswick/Newark student who participates in the interview

program that rejecting an offer after having previously accepted one--for any reason--is a serious

recruiting violation and is subject to significant repercussions. Students are expected to abide by

Rutgers University Code of Conduct. Additionally, we require students cease interview participation

once a full-time offer has been accepted and that they notify any employers with whom they are still in

discussion that they have accepted an offer and are formally withdrawing any open applications.

Consequences

Employers violating any of these policies may have recruiting platform privileges revoked. Each

circumstance will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Resources

Contact information

• Office of Career Exploration and Success (848) 445-7287, recruiting@echo.rutgers.edu

• Career Development Center (973) 353-5311 or careers@newark.rutgers.edu

• RBS Office of Career Management 848-445-9354, ocm@business.rutgers.edu

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

• Rutgers Nondiscrimination Policy: https://policies.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/60-1-12-

current.pdf

• Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy Statement: https://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-

discrimination-statement

US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

• Federal Laws Preventing Discrimination Q&A: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html (link is

external)

• Americans with Disabilities Act: A Primer for Small Business:

http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/adahandbook.cfm (link is external)

US Department of Labor

• Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under FLSA:

https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm (link is external)

• Disability Resources/Job Accommodations:

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability/jobaccommodations (link is external)

• ODEP Diverse Perspectives: People with Disabilities Fulfilling Your Business Goals:

https://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/diverse.htm (link is external)

US Department of Education

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html (link is external)

Other Federal Workplace Laws & Resources

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• Workplace Laws Not Enforced by the EEOC: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/other.cfm (link is

external)

State of New Jersey

• State of New Jersey Employment Laws: https://www.nj.gov/labor/

• New Jersey Minimum Wage: https://www.nj.gov/labor/wagehour/wagehour_index.html

Professional Organization

• National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) Principles for Ethical Professional Practice:

http://www.naceweb.org/career-development/organizational-structure/principles-for-ethical-

professional-practice/?utm_source=nace-revised-

principles&utm_medium=email&utm_content=txt&utm_campaign=content (link is external)

• NACE Position Statement: Internships: http://www.naceweb.org/about-us/advocacy/position-

statements/position-statement-us-internships/ (link is external)