|
Training
* Train your student employees well and make your expectations clear to them.
* Immediately address any issues that arise.
* Terminate the student in the Hiring Archive of JobX if she leaves your employ.
* Post the payroll schedule in an obvious place accessible to student workers.
* Review student student time sheets on Banner Web Time Entry in a timely manner before each payroll and check their hours for accuracy.
* Keep your own records of the student's time as she works so you have something to compare to her online submission. You are responsible for every timesheet that you approve.
* Be aware of the payroll deadlines for WTE and if you cannot approve your student's time, have a proxy ready to do so.
Please remember that Payroll is a separate department from Student Employment and they handle any questions
about BannerWeb Time Entry, pay schedules, deadlines, pay rates and SP #'s.
Good Training Is A Must
As a supervisor, your best insurance for achieving a positive working atmosphere for both parties is to train your student employees thoroughly.
You rely on them, so provide them with the tools and knowledge they need to do their jobs well. Nothing will save you time and effort better
than taking the opportunity to train your student workers thoroughly, even if it means setting up a session during which you will not be disturbed.
Consider drawing up a guide for your students specific to your department's work.
For instance, you may find it useful to provide student assistants with a 3-ring binder complete with print-outs of computer screens they needed
to access and instructions. Provide them with easy access to answers to common questions you find you've been asked by previous employees. One
way to do this is to provide a rolodex listing various Q & A's, policies, and procedures. Having such material available to your student workers
frees you from interruption, repetitive questions, and allows them some independence. The opportunity to find answers for themselves will keep
the job more interesting and allow them to continue learning. Many students take pride in performing their jobs well and will welcome such guidance
and autonomy. It also eliminates a lot of the problems associated with reluctance on the part of some employees to ask questions. You may find a
brief weekly meeting helpful to review any questions, upcoming deadlines and any issues that have arisen.
It is very important that you communicate your expectations, make yourself available for questions, give students frequent feedback on their
performance, and recognize their contributions. You may consider developing some kind of reward or recognition program in your department, for
instance. We, as employees of Smith, certainly appreciate the recognition of staff, and students are an integral and important part of our staff.
Be fair and flexible and cultivate mutual respect. These job experiences will affect the students' futures and contribute to their total learning
experience at Smith. Future employers view work-study jobs as valid experience and check references with both direct supervisors and the Student
Employment Office. Students will ask you for letters of reference for the files at the Career Development Office, so your honest feedback is
important and valued. In addition, the Student Employment Office constantly receives requests from companies on the employment background of Smith
students they are considering hiring. The workplace experience provided to students at Smith is as important as their education in many ways.
The students have been told that they have a responsibility to familiarize themselves with college policies regarding student employment, should
they choose to work. They are told that they will be expected to appear punctually and as scheduled for their jobs, present a neat appearance and
work efficiently and cooperatively. When illness or emergency prevents them from working, they must notify their supervisor in advance of the usual
reporting time. In some positions, it is the student's responsibility to find a substitute, if one is necessary. If this is the case, you should
inform the student of this policy when you hire her. In addition, students are told they should never just fail to show up for work. Doing so will
put their job in jeopardy, in addition to creating a hardship for the supervisor and co-workers. Agencies, departments and professors rely upon
students and value their work, and a work-study job should be approached exactly like any other job.
Students very often enjoy the responsibilities placed upon them, particularly if they are made to feel that they are a valuable part of your office
staff. Of course, there are always the occasions when a supervisor will be confronted by a situation in which the student is not performing in the
manner expected. It is important to address such issues immediately and definitively before they have the chance to become a more serious problem.
A student will not benefit from a supervisor who is too lenient or sets no guidelines and boundaries. The student worker, supervisor, and department
functions will all benefit from a clearly outlined job description and guidelines to expectations and behavior.
Students should be informed of the procedures that will be followed in dealing with infractions - such as not showing up for work or being
consistently late - so they will have advance knowledge of the consequences of their actions. It is your responsibility to develop these policies
and procedures within your department and make them known (for instance, set policy on verbal warnings, written warnings, and termination.
Please feel free to seek advice from the Student Employment Office. Definite policies
regarding lateness and absenteeism will make it easier to deal with these issues if they arise. Well-supervised campus jobs benefit both the
department that needs the work done and the student who needs the earnings and the practical work experience.
Commitment
Do not hesitate to draw up a contract specific to your office, review it with the student, and ask her to sign it. You are entitled to ask her to
commit herself to the position for which she's been hired. Occasionally students are hired at one 10 hour per week job, then apply for another and
a problem arises when she wants to do both. JobX will help you identify a student who already has a job before this becomes a problem. Students
are only entitled to one permanent job providing them with 10-12 hours a week and it's in your best interest to be sure your student employee
understands this and commits to the job you have offered her.
Confidentiality
Supervisors find it quite useful to have student employees sign a contractual agreement form due to the confidential nature of some work and a need
for commitment to the position. Be sure to cover other issues, such as office phone use, computer use, visitors, etc., regardless of whether or not
a written contract is part of the terms of hiring.
If a student has access to confidential information as part of her job, it is very important that there be a strict understanding that this
information will not be shared with anyone outside the department. Failure to comply should result in termination of employment as well as action
by the Dean of the College and the Judicial Board because of the seriousness of this matter.
Supervisors may wish to have the student sign a statement indicating that she understands the responsibility of handling confidential material,
the manner in which it must be handled, and the terms of her employment. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to clarify matters before they
lead to misunderstandings or problems. Supervisors and students alike should feel free to request advice or assistance from the student employment
coordinator about any work study matter. If possible, issues should be handled immediately between the student and the supervisor before they
grow needlessly into a larger problem.
You should set rules for computer and phone use within your office and let the student know the consequences of the abuse of such technology.
Personal use of departmental phones, faxes, computers, etc. is not permitted.
It is important to note that employers are not obligated to retain a student if she does not live up to the standards set for her or if she abuses
any privileges.
Having a student read and sign a statement of departmental expectations and thorough training can circumvent many a misunderstanding.
|
