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Student Hourly - FAQs
Common questions that student hiring managers have encountered surrounding student employment.
The Administrative Services Unit follows campus policy on student hourly employment at UW-Madison: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-5003.
I’ve selected the student I want to hire, why can’t they start tomorrow?
- ASU asks hiring managers to allow approximately10 business days for HR system processing before the student can start work.This allows time to gather necessary information and properly hire a student in HRS.
- Students must be hired in UW-Madison’s Human Resources System (HRS) before they are eligible to be paid for their work.
- The student will need to accept the job offer, complete the required paperwork and onboarding requirements including I-9, and be cleared to work by ASU BEFORE they can begin employment and work their first shift. As a reminder, processing time is dependent on timely response by the student to CBC initiation (if applicable) and online offer.
- ASU HR will send you an email notification and will update the applicant's status to "HR Processing Complete" once the student has been cleared to start work.
- If your student hire requires a Criminal Background Check (CBC) this may delay the start date.
I've identified and made a hire. What actions do I need to take in the Student Jobs Platform?
- Send notification to applicants not moving forward in the recruitment process:
- Review the Change Applicant Status training video under Manage Your Jobs.
- Change applicant status to "No Longer Considered"
- When you update the status, you can choose to send an automatic system notification email through the Student Jobs Platform to applicants that they are no longer considered, or you can choose to do so through personal communication outside of the platform if desired.
How many hours can my student work?
- ASU monitors Student Hourly employee hours of service to ensure they do not exceed an average of 30 hours per week (excluding hours of service credited under a Federal Work Study program) for all UW employment positions held by a particular Student Hourly employee in any 90-day period of time
- All institutions under Universities of Wisconsin are considered one employer for purposes of calculating hours worked per week
- Students are non-exempt from FLSA regulations, meaning that they are subject to overtime compensation.
- Some international students, depending on their visa status, may be prohibited from working more than 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters while school is in session.
What do I do when a student is done working in my department?
What requirements must be met for an individual to be employed as a student hourly employee?
- Must be enrolled in credits at an educational institution in the current semester. Exception: Any student who has been accepted for fall enrollment or is continuing in the fall semester after completion of the spring semester or is enrolled during the summer is eligible for summer employment.
- Must be age 16 or older
- The position is incidental to the individual's purpose or presence at the institution as a student
- See eligibility definitions under policy
Who is responsible for ensuring the individual is eligible to be employed as a student?
- The supervisor/hiring department.
How much can I pay my student employee?
- The campus minimum for student hourly employees is $10 and the maximum $25. If the work is not federally funded, any hourly rate within that range may be applied at the discretion of the hiring unit.
- You must contact the asu.hr@ohr.wisc.edu to request a rate increase for a student employee. Please make sure to work with your supervisor to get email documentation of approval for the rate increase prior to contacting ASU OHR. Please keep in mind pay increases are made effective at the start of an upcoming pay period.
- Students are eligible to receive Night and Weekend Differentials (https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-5026)
My student employee is graduating. Can they still work for me?
- Undergraduate students that are graduating may work through the last day of the pay period that they graduate. Please contact asu.hr@ohr.wisc.edu or refer to the Academic Calendar to determine relevant upcoming commencement dates.
- For Graduate students receiving their degree, you must refer to the Graduate School's guidance on Degree Conferral/Payroll End Dates to determine the last day they are eligible to work in their student hourly position.
- To hear about other options to continue short term employment for your graduating student, contact asu.hr@ohr.wisc.edu.
Do student employees need to pass a criminal background check?
- If you are are unsure if your position will require a background check, ASU will help you make the determination before your job is posted to the UW Student Jobs.
- To initiate a CBC, review ASU's KB on How to Request a Criminal Background Check
- If a student will be working with youth under 18 and/or in camp settings the position is considered a Position of Trust (POT) and employment is contingent on the results of a background check per policy:
- University of Wisconsin System Criminal Background Check Policy
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Criminal Background Check Policy
- For non-POTs, a background check is not required for Student Hourly employment per UW-Madison policy but may still be required at the discretion of the hiring unit.
What if I need to employ a high-school student (Ages 16-17)?
- If you plan to hire a minor for a student hourly position (Ages 16 -17) please make sure to thoroughly review relevant Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development policies and guidelines prior to creating the job offer.
- Wisconsin Employment of Minors Guide
- Please note that there are hours and other restrictions for minors in the workplace.
Where do I go to review UW Student policy?