The following forms need to be filled out when a parish hires a new employee:

Acknowledgement and Consent Form for Employees: This form is filled out by the employee. This form accomplishes three things:

• The form contains a background questionnaire concerning sexual abuse.
• The form contains an acknowledgement that that the person has received, read, and understands the Safe Environment Policy and the Misconduct Policy
• The form authorizes the parish, parish school, and diocese to do a background check on the person.

The form must be completed at the time of hire, and on an annual basis thereafter. A copy of the form signed at the time of hire must be sent to the Office of Parish Administration, but the annual form does not need to be sent. The original and annual forms must be kept in the parish’s personnel file.

Employment Background Check: This form is filled out by the employee. It authorizes the diocese to do a background check with the person’s previous or other current employer. If the person is unemployed or self-employed, go back three years from the date the person begins employment with the parish; if the person has not had a previous employer within that time period, then no employment check is needed. They should just write “N/A” on the form. One copy of this form should be sent to the OPA, and one copy should go into the parish personnel file.

Information Sheet for New Employees: This form is filled out by the employer. It provides information needed to start getting the employee signed up for all applicable benefits. One copy of the Information Sheet should be sent to the OPA, and one copy should go into the parish personnel file.

Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate (W-4): This form is filled out by the employee. It gives the employer the information needed to withhold the correct amount of federal income tax from the employee’s paychecks. This form should go into the parish personnel file; if the employee is claiming exemption from withholding, a copy of the form also needs to be sent to Department of Revenue, Mail Station 4450, St. Paul MN 55146-4450. Whenever an employee wants a change made to his/her tax withholding, that person will need to complete a new form. This form can be obtained at www.irs.gov

Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9): This form is filled out by both the employee and the employer. This form verifies the employment eligibility of the employee. It must be completed within 3 business days of the date employment begins. The form must be kept in the parish’s personnel file for three years after the date of hire or one year after the date employment ends, whichever is later. This form can be obtained at www.uscis.gov

Enrollment Form for Group Coverage: This form only applies to full-time employees . This is the application for the employee’s term life, long-term disability, health, and dental insurance plans. If the employee is waiving health and/or dental insurance, he/she needs to fill out the waiver at the end of section A. The employee completes section A of this form; section B is completed by the Office of Parish Administration. This form must be returned to the Office of Parish Administration within 30 days of the employee’s start date or there may be problems with the employee’s insurance, and the parish could face significant financial liability for this. Contact the Office of Parish Administration to get this form.