Work Study

These guidelines and suggestions have been developed to help you understand and utilize the Work Study Program at Pierce College.

What Is Work-Study?

Work-Study is a need-based Financial Aid program that pays a large portion of the student's hourly wage. It requires students to work to earn their award. As students earn their award, most of the wages are charged to the Work-Study Program, so the employer pays very little of the wage. Students are awarded Work-Study for a certain job, not employer. Federal College Work Study is a federally subsidized employment program and State Work Study is a state subsidized employment program, which provides financial assistance to students by compensating them for work they perform. In order to be eligible for work-study, a student must apply for and be awarded financial aid. As work-study is one component of the financial aid package, each student is awarded a set amount of eligibility, which determines the number of hours per week which may be worked. A student's award is based upon the student's need and availability of funds in the programs, not upon the needs of the employer.

Work-Study pays most of a student's hourly wage (65% - 80%). The subsidy allows employers to create jobs that would not otherwise exist. Employers are encouraged to develop high quality jobs that allow students to use skills related to their major/minor or future career goals. Employers are not guaranteed an eligible student will apply for their job, OR that funds will be available when they make hiring decisions.

A work-study student cannot displace a regular (permanent) employee, or fill any position that would otherwise be filled by a regular (permanent) employee.

As on campus budgets for the academic year are prepared each spring, if a department expects to hire a work-study student a 25% salary cost should be included when preparing budget requests.

Work-study employment is intended to be a learning experience and a productive activity for the student, requiring clearly defined guidelines. Employers and student employees are encouraged to be aware of their responsibilities and to be active agents in making the employment experience a positive one. It is not an employment program for the college, though it is often viewed as one. Work-Study jobs must have a Job Description on file. If you want to hire a Work-Study student, contact the Work-Study Coordinator if you do not have a Job Description on file.

We are here to assist you if you need help or have questions. Please feel free to contact the Work-Study Coordinator, Lisa Fortson at 964-6769 or in person in the Financial Aid Office.

How Does A Student Get Work-Study?

Financial Aid awards Work-Study. To be considered, students must apply (and qualify) for financial aid,

AND:

1. Seek Employment
2. Be offered a job
3. Receive a Work-Study authorization for the employer to complete and return to the work-study coordinator.

Employers may ask to see a student's award letter at the time of interview to see if they have been awarded a work-study position. You may make a job offer contingent upon the student receiving Work-Study.

Work-Study funds are limited. Priority will be given to students who find a job relating to their major/minor/ future career goal, or a high skill level job.

Work-Study awards are not job-specific. If an award is made, it can be used for any job listed on the job listing. If a student leaves a job, their remaining award is not canceled. If this happens, you may repost your position with the Work-Study Coordinator who will try to replace the position with another Work-Study student for the remainder of the academic year. This is done as a courtesy to employers who successfully recruit a Work-Study student, and plan their workload accordingly. It should not be interpreted as an employer award. If the department terminates the student because of lack of work, budget, etc., then it may be possible for the student to get a different Work-Study job. Please contact the Work-Study Coordinator to discuss the particular situation.

How To Attract A Work-Study Student

There are many on-campus departments that may potentially be able to create Work-Study positions. Employers will benefit from Work-Study if an eligible student applies for their job and receives an award. Employers are more successful attracting Work-Study eligible students when they:

A. Take time to develop a quality work experience and provide a positive, friendly work environment.

B. Write a good job description. This is your first chance to grab a student's interest in your job and show them what they need to get the job and the skills they will gain.

C. Present a friendly face and pleasant tone of voice when a student contacts you. This applies to your entire staff.

D. Offer fair wages for the work expected. Students must often trade loan funds to receive Work-Study. Non Work-Study jobs do not require this. Make the wage worth the trade.

How To Request a Student

To post a job with the Work-Study Coordinator, you need a Job Description on file. Contact the Work-Study Coordinator in the Financial Aid office if you need a job description form or you may access it on line.

Students will contact you directly to apply for your job. Employers are not required to post jobs but you are strongly encouraged to submit a Job Description. You may find a sufficient applicant pool through direct inquiry from students, but it would be easier to find qualified students and for them to connect with you if you would post it on our Job Listing. You will have a larger applicant pool from which to select and avoid confusion regarding job duties, wage, etc.

Remember: You must adhere to the College's Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy when recruiting and/or hiring students.

Student Employee Defined

Student Employee Defined: A Student Employee is a person hired in a temporary/hourly position on the Pierce College campus who is also enrolled at least half time (6 credits for work-study students) or during a break period if pre-registered for at least half time credits the following quarter.

There are 3 main types of Student Employees:

Regular Student Employee - Students who work on-campus and are not awarded Work-Study. Employers pay 100% of the student's hourly wage. The vast majority of campus jobs are regular jobs.

Federal Work-Study (FWS) - Students who are awarded FWS by the Financial Aid Office. FWS is a federally funded financial aid program that usually pays 65-75% of a student's hourly wage. The wage rate is set by the Financial Aid office but an employer can request a change in the rate of pay and it can be anything that is minimum wage or above.

State Work-Study (SWS) - Students are awarded SWS by the Work-Study Coordinator in the Financial Aid Office. SWS is a state funded financial aid program that pays 80% of a student's hourly wage. Per program rules, SWS wages must be comparable to on-campus civil service wages. These wage rates are set by Human Resources and are determined by comparison of the Job Description to the WA Dept. of Personnel position classification tables. Typically SWS is awarded to students who find jobs related to their major/minor or career goals, high skill level jobs, and may be awarded if FWS funds are unavailable.

How To Hire A Student

All hiring forms are available on the the Human Resources intranet site.

First, ask if the student has a Work-Study Authorization form. Work-Study authorizations are available at the Financial Aid office. On-line forms are downloadable by the department and must be completed by the student and department, forwarded to Human Resources and Payroll for data entry and filing purposes. All forms are available on line at the Intranet site, from the Work-Study Coordinator, at Human Resources, and Payroll offices. Make sure that you and the student thoroughly read the Instruction Sheets before you fill out all forms.

Verify that the student is enrolled at least half-time (6 credits min.). If the student has not worked on campus before they must complete a W-4, I-9, and Drug Free Workplace Form. Please be SURE you have completed the I-9 form properly. The INS fines employers very heavily for incorrectly completed forms. * Supervisors at Pierce College should complete the I-9, Drug Free Workplace form, and W-4 with the student at the time of hire. Send the I-9 and Drug Free Workplace forms directly to Human Resources for filing and the W-4 directly to Payroll for filing.

If a background check is required, have the student complete an Authorization for Background Check Form*. The department will forward a memo * to Human Resources requesting the background information check, this memo is available on the Background Form page.

Work-Study Authorization forms received by the Work-Study Coordinator during a pay period cycle may not appear on the system for that pay period. This may delay the student's first paycheck from that employer by one pay date. **Employers must notify students of this delay at the time of hire so they can plan their finances accordingly.

Incomplete or inaccurate authorization forms are returned to supervisors through campus mail. This will delay when the student can be placed on the payroll system.

The Work-Study web site does not list all policies relating to employment at Pierce College, but rather gives general employment guidelines and information specific to work-study student employees. Comprehensive employment policies for Pierce College are available through the Pierce College Human Resources department. Please contact the Work-Study Coordinator if you have questions not addressed in this manual.

I-9 Form Supervisor's must complete this form with students. The student completes their section and shows appropriate identification to Supervisor. Students can use any of the acceptable pieces of identification listed on the back of the I-9 form that they wish to use. The employer cannot specify which documents they will accept. The student must present ORIGINAL documents. Supervisor views the documents and completes the remainder of the form.

The I-9 form only needs to be completed once (properly) for all the years the student will work at Pierce College.

W-4 Form - Student completes. Only needed once to cover all years a student works at Pierce College. Should be updated if information changes (such as address or marital status).

Background Inquiry Form - If a student will have unsupervised access to persons under 16, developmentally disabled, or vulnerable adults while on the job, the employer should have the student complete a Background Inquiry form. The department collects the form and prepares a memo to send to Campus Police requesting the background check (DO NOT send the Background Inquiry form itself to the Campus Police). See complete instructions and the memo located in the Online Forms section. Students may begin work prior to receiving results. Continued employment is contingent on satisfactory results.

Hiring Disabled Students

Supervisors must not discriminate against a disabled student applicant or employee who is otherwise qualified to perform the job. Reasonable accommodation must be made to employees, provided such accommodation does not create undue hardship on the conduct of the College's function. Supervisors should contact the Director of Disability Support Services for guidance in determining reasonable accommodations for disabled students.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Statement

Pierce College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is strongly committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce. Qualified applicants, including women, persons of color, Vietnam-era/disabled veterans, persons age 40 and over, and individuals with disability are encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities who require assistance with the recruitment process will be accommodated to the extent reasonably possible. A telecommunication device for the Deaf is available at 253-964-6228.

Employers must adhere to the above policy when recruiting, interviewing, & hiring a Student Employee.

Interviewing Student Employees

Supervisors must avoid any Prohibited Pre-Employment Inquiries as outlined in WAC 162-12. Click here to read WAC section. Copies of Prohibited Inquiries are also available from the Office for Equal Opportunity, or Human Resource Office or you can download this section from the Washington State Web site if you wish to have it on your computer.

Number of Hours Students Can Work

State Work-Study students can work 19 hours per week while classes are in session, and 40 hrs/wk during breaks and Federal College Work-Study students can work 19.5 hours per week while classes are in session, and 40 hrs/wk during breaks. Students may begin working their increased hours during breaks immediately after they complete their last final exam.

Amount of Work-Study

Awards are based on eligibility and can range between $500 - $2,500. Once an amount is set, the student cannot earn more than that amount through Work-Study. The award is the gross (100%) amount the student can earn, not just the Work-Study share of earnings. If you need an increase in the award amount, please contact the Work-Study Coordinator to see if an increase is possible for that student.

Student Orientation

Employers must ensure that students have a clear understanding of their duties & responsibilities prior to beginning work. Hiring a student is a responsibility, which requires planning by the employer. It is imperative that you inform the student of safety rules, what to do in an emergency situation, how to respond to a fire alarm, where the first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and other safety equipment is located, and make sure they are aware of evacuation routes and procedures.

Students should understand the hours they are expected to work, how requests for time off are handled, how/when to call in sick, departmental dress code, etc. Employers must also provide basic information, such as the location of restroom, where coats & personal belongings should be kept, departmental policy regarding beverages / food at the workstation, etc.

This may be a student's first work experience. A clear understanding of expectations set forth at the beginning helps prevent misunderstandings, and the necessity for taking corrective action. Communicating regularly with your students greatly helps both of you.

Praise your students often when they do a good job. This will encourage them to do their best, and when you need to correct them, they are less likely to resent it. They will not be inclined to feel like the only time they hear from you is when you have complaints about their work.

Dealing honestly and promptly with inappropriate behavior problems can often stop bigger problems from developing later. Do not assume they somehow "know" you are happy or unhappy with their work, tell them. They cannot know how you judge their work unless you tell them. When correcting an employee, do so privately and in a civil manner that respects their human dignity. Do not humiliate them by reprimanding them in front of other employees or the public. In short, treat them the way you would like to be treated if you were in their place.

How To Pay A Student

After the student has been approved to work, provide them with a Time Sheet. MAKE CERTAIN that you have completed an authorization form for the student and that it has been sent to the Work-Study Coordinator in the Financial Aid Office.

Make sure the student knows to sign their Time Sheet, and when the Time Sheet must be submitted to their supervisor (normally the 31st of each month). It is the student's responsibility to submit their Time Sheet to their supervisor by the department deadline. Late Time Sheets will be paid on the next regular payday. Departments may contact Payroll for special instructions in a hardship situation.

At the end of each Pay Period, the supervisor must:

1. Review the Time Sheet for accuracy and completeness
2. Sign it in ink
3. Submit it to the Approving Official for their signature
4. Have the timesheet sent to the Work-Study Coordinator

Do not allow the student to handle their Time Sheet after the supervisor has signed it. Protect your student employees from the risk of suspicion or temptation.

If the submission deadline has been missed, the Time Sheet must still be submitted as soon as possible; however, students/supervisors who turn in late Time Sheets must wait until the next regular payday.

Students must be paid for all hours worked. Payment may not be delayed for more than one pay period.

Employers must proofread all information on the Timesheet for errors, including input errors by the work-student. Report errors to the Work-Study Coordinator as soon as possible so that we may correct the data.

The Payroll Office will reject Timesheets not signed by the Work-Study Coordinator.

Work-Study Student Pay Rates

All Work-Study Student Employees must be paid on an hourly basis. Employers may set the hourly wage for all students except State Work-Study student employees. Per program rules, State Work-Study wages are set by Human Resources, and are comparable to civil service rates.

Wages should be based on skills and qualifications required for the job. It is not appropriate to set an hourly wage based solely on student status or Work-Study eligibility. The minimum wage in Washington State is updated each year on January 1. Visit the Department of Labor Web site to check the current minimum wage in Washington State.

Pay Periods and Pay Dates

Pay period is the time frame defining the days covered by each paycheck. Pierce College has one Pay Period per month, 1st - 31st for work-study students. Timesheets are due to the Work-Study Coordinator by the 1^st three days of each month. Timesheets arriving after the first three days of each month may delay a student's paycheck by one pay date. Employers are responsible for ensuring that students are aware of this delay.

Pay Period Pay Date: 1st - 31st of each month's Pay Date is the 15th of the following month.

If the 15th falls on Saturday, payday is the day before (Friday); if on Sunday, payday is the next day (Monday).

Paychecks are mailed to the student's home unless a direct deposit is requested. Forms for direct deposit may be found in the Payroll office, from the Work-Study Coordinator or on-line on the Intranet.

Please note: the Work-Study Coordinator must receive work-Study authorization forms before the student may begin working. Authorization forms arriving during a payroll cycle may delay a student's first paycheck by one pay date.

Students are encouraged to arrange for direct deposit by contacting the Payroll Office.

Off-Campus

If student's work off-campus, they are to be paid according to the employer's regular payroll schedule. All employers must pay students at least once per month and must pay students for all hours they work. Employers cannot require "volunteer" hours from an employee whom they have hired for pay.

Time Sheets

Hour by hour record of time a student worked. Completed and signed in ink by both student and supervisor. RETAIN a copy in department records for audit purposes. IMPORTANT: Never allow a student employee to handle the Time Sheet after the supervisor has signed it. In almost every case of Time Sheet fraud, the supervisor has allowed the employee to handle the Time Sheet after it was signed. Protect your student employee from the risk of suspicion or temptation by NEVER allowing them to touch the Time Sheet after it is approved.

Department Budget Codes

Please include the department budget code(s) on the work-study authorization and all timesheets.

Approving Officials/Dept. Dean/Division Chairs

When submitting a Work-Study Authorization Form and Work-Study Timesheet, the department is responsible for making sure the correct Approving Officials signature is on the forms. We do not verify the signature, but only check to see that one is present.

Check with the Payroll office for a current list of designated Approving Officials.

Approving Official

Person authorized to approve hiring decisions for specified area/department. You are responsible for knowing who your Approving Official is, and obtaining the proper signatures. The Work-Study Coordinator is not responsible for incorrectly completed forms, and we do not verify the name or signature, only that a signature is present.

Monitoring Student Earnings/Hours

It is the employer's responsibility to insure students do not exceed the number of hours they are allowed to work. Do not schedule (or allow) students to work beyond these limits.

Employers must ensure that Work-Study students do not exceed their per quarter award amount. Once the student earns their full quarter award, they can continue working if a Report of Hourly Appointment Form (RHA) is submitted PRIOR to scheduling additional hours to Human Resources. Forms can be downloaded from the Human Resources intranet site.

Per federal law, employers must pay students for all hours worked - no exceptions.

Breaks / Lunch Period

Students working 4 consecutive hours must receive a paid break of at least 15 minutes for each 4 hours they work. The break should fall approximately halfway through each 4-hour shift.

Students working 5 or more consecutive hours must be given an unpaid lunch break of at least 30 minutes. This break is in addition to the paid break.

Breaks and lunch periods may not be accumulated and taken at the end of a shift (such as not taking a break & leaving early). Breaks are intended to provide a rest period during a shift in order to promote safety and productivity.

Overtime

Students cannot be paid overtime through the Work-Study Program.

Volunteer Hours

Employers are prohibited from accepting volunteer hours from their paid Student Employees, per the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Volunteer hours cannot be requested/suggested, or otherwise solicited by employers. Students cannot be pressured or coerced in any form to volunteer. Students cannot receive any real/implied, present or future reward/penalty for volunteering or not volunteering hours.

Employers may accept volunteer hours when: They are offered of the student's free will, AND the student is not otherwise employed by the department, AND the student is not employed anywhere on-campus doing similar work, AND the student does not have a Work-Study position in that department.

The federal FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT does not permit volunteer hours except under the conditions described above.

Performance Evaluations

Supervisors should offer on-going verbal feedback about a student's job performance (so they can assess their strengths & weaknesses). If unsatisfactory work or behavior is identified, supervisors should speak to the student immediately, offering suggestions and an opportunity to improve. They will not just somehow "know" unless you tell them! Written performance evaluations are not required for Student Employees. However, they are recommended as good practice.

Termination of Employment

Student Employees are hired on a hourly/temporary basis. The student or supervisor may terminate the employment at any time. Advanced notice is not required by either party; however, it is considered good practice to give 2 weeks notice.

In terminating a student's employment, supervisors must insure they do not violate the College's Affirmative Action Policy, and that they do so in a manner that respects the student's dignity.

Supervisors are responsible to verify that student employees return keys when employment ends. In addition supervisors are responsible to end computer access and verify that electronic key access has been terminated when student employment has ended.

How To Update Changes

All changes must be requested in writing. The Work-Study Coordinator must receive changes and/or corrections by the FIRST day of the Pay Period in which the change is to take effect. We may not be able to change data retroactively. We will accept only one wage change request per employment period (summer or academic year) and the change must effect at least one whole pay period. We encourage you to make a substantial wage increase at the beginning of an employment period or once during the year rather than attempting to make small changes more often.

Late submissions may not appear until the following Pay Period.

Reporting On-The-Job Injuries at Pierce College

If a student is injured on the job, the supervisor should ensure that a Pierce College Accident Report form is completed by the student and signed by both the student and supervisor. Forward the form to the Human Resources Office. If additional forms are needed, please contact Human Resources.

Other Conditions of Work-Study

Employers may promote a student from one job to another within the same department. Before doing so, they must contact the Work-Study Coordinator because a Job Description and a new work-study authorization for the new duties must be on file. If the student has a State Work-Study award, their hourly wage may change.

Work-Study must be earned during the quarter(s) specified on the authorization. Unearned amounts may usually be carried into the next quarter, except for spring. If the entire Work-Study amount is not earned by the end of spring quarter, the remainder is canceled. If a student earns more than the amount of their per quarter award, the department will pay the excess hours at 100% of the additional amount.

Employers MUST have a job description on file with the Work-Study Coordinator for all jobs filled by a Work-Study student. Job descriptions must be updated when a student's duties or supervisor information changes.

Work-Study is contingent upon a student's eligibility for financial aid. Changes in eligibility may reduce or cancel an award.

Note: If Financial Aid suspends a student, their award will be canceled immediately.