Hiring a Remote Employee
Out-of-State
Pre-Approvals Required
Northern Arizona University is obligated to follow state specific laws for its employees working from a state other than Arizona. Currently NAU requires pre-approvals prior to making an offer of employment to an individual who will be living outside the State of Arizona. For more information on the pre-approvals and associated costs with hiring a remote employee, please visit the Departmental Procedures for Out-of-State Employees webpage.
Onboarding Resources for out-of-state employment
Please work directly with your NAU HR Services team member for assistance in creating the offer letter and for specific onboarding processes and procedures.
In State
Department Head/Supervisor Approvals needed
Northern Arizona University is pleased to offer Flexible and Hybrid/Remote work options for employees in roles that can accommodate these remote work options. For information related to the New NAU Workplace please visit our Flexible Work Schedules and Hybrid/Remote work webpage for obtaining the appropriate approvals
Onboarding Resources for remote in-state employment
Please work directly with your NAU HR Services team member for assistance in creating the offer letter and for specific onboarding processes and procedures.
Who is a remote employee? Accordion Open
A remote employee is an employee who will never visit the NAU campus or Extended Campuses to perform their duties; however, they will be working at a remote location or online outside the State of Arizona, within the United States. Therefore, they are not able to physically present their original employment identity and authorization documents necessary to complete their Form I-9 to an NAU representative.
Advanced approvals before hiring:
Due to the complexity of compliance and additional costs associated with out of state work, generally employees must live and work from the state of Arizona. Special advanced approvals are required for an NAU to be hired or allowed to work from another state other than Arizona. Employees cannot work from another state for their own convenience, though certain business-justified or mission critical situations may be allowed with advance approval. See Departmental Procedures for Out-of-State Employees.
Who is NOT a remote employee? Accordion Closed
There are two other populations of employees who may be mistakenly identified as remote employees.
Not a remote employee:
- The employee who will be working in the State of Arizona at a remote location or online. This employee may visit a NAU location to present their employment identifications. If the employee is not able to physically visit a NAU location to present their employment documentation or if the NAU location does not have secured technical capabilities to process the employee’s I-9, then the employee or NAU representative may contact the HR office for assistance.
- The employee who will be working in the State of Arizona at the NAU campus or Extended Campuses. This employee is not eligible to complete the remote hiring packet or the remote Form I-9; instead, the employee can wait to present their employment documentation to the department or HR within three business days of their start date.
Hiring a Remote Employee
The Remote Employee Hiring Packet is a paper-based hiring packet that is specifically designed for employees who cannot present their identification in person because they will be working from a remote location outside of the State of Arizona, but within the United States. If a new employee can present his/her employment identity and authorization documents in person, even if they will be working remotely, please use the regular HireXpress (Compliance Center) online hiring process.
DO NOT initiate an electronic hiring packet in PeopleSoft for remote employees. Instead use the Remote Employee Hiring Packet to initiate your employee’s hiring process. If you are unsure that your employee is a remote employee, please contact HR for assistance and continue to refer all foreign national employees to HR.
Resources and Instructions
- Hiring Department’s Instructions – What types of information to provide to the remote employee.
- Remote Employee’s Instructions – Instructions on how to complete hard copy remote employee’s hiring packet and the revised Form I-9.
- Remote Employee Hiring Packet – Download or print, paper-based hiring packet and instructions for remote employees.
- Revised Form I-9 – Both hard copy or electronically completed revised Form I-9 are acceptable.
- Notary Public Instructions – The remote employee must locate a notary in their local area to complete Form I-9 Section 2.