Summer Employment
Eligibility
All continuing undergraduate students are eligible for summer positions. Graduated or withdrawn students are not eligible as student workers and must apply through the Office of Human Resources.
Rehiring Considerations
All positions must be readvertised on Workday for work-study students for the academic year. Students without work-study must wait until October 1 in the fall, and two weeks after classes start in the spring to apply for on-campus jobs and may not automatically keep their summer jobs during the academic year. Please take this into consideration when hiring in the summer if you want your student to continue during the academic year.
Hour Limits & Schedule
Students may work up to 40 hours per week during the summer. Summer jobs can start any time after the last day of classes, be any length of time, and must end the day before classes start.
Pay Rate
The Massachusetts minimum wage rate rose to $15.00 per hour as of January 1, 2023. Therefore, the base pay rate for students is now $15.00 for on campus jobs and $15.50 for off-campus work study.
Students who have not previously worked in the department should be assigned the lowest rate. Higher rates can be chosen for those who have prior experience in the department and for CFCD research assistants. Contact to the Controller's Office with questions regarding rates.
Budgets
The departmental student employment budget line refers to work-study during the academic year. If you plan to hire students during the summer, you must have a line in your student employment budget for summer help and request an SU (Summer) number. Contact the Budget Office with inquiries regarding budgets for student employees.
Requests for Increased Budgets
Requests for increased student budgets should be directed first to the department head. If departments cut their student work budget, this will result in a decrease in the number of jobs available to eligible students.
Federal regulations mandate that student workers may not be used to replace staff. Students on financial aid with work-study have first priority for your job, no matter where funding comes from.
Training
Employers must provide students with the tools and knowledge they need to do their jobs well. You are responsible for communicating expectations, making yourself available for questions, giving students frequent feedback and recognizing contributions.
Confidentiality
If a student has access to confidential information as part of her job, this information is not to be shared with anyone outside the department. Failure to comply will result in termination of employment as well as action by the Dean of the College and the Judicial Board.
Timesheets
In accordance with federal regulations and Smith College agreement, the college acts as paymaster, keeps all records and issues W-2 forms.
During the academic year you will be logging in biweekly to approve your student worker's timesheet.
By law, employees must be paid within one month of performing their duties. Please ensure that your student worker has submitted her timesheet to you for every pay period she works.
All timesheets are approved in Workday by following this job aid.
Do not miss timesheet approvals; if you do, you will go unpaid and must submit a retroactive timesheet in the next payroll.
All payroll processes, including time entry and approvals, are handled by the payroll office in the Office of the Controller, 413-585-4607 or payroll@smith.edu.
Payroll is biweekly. Missing a payroll means the student will go without a paycheck for two more weeks.
Lost Password
Contact ITS User Support, at 413-585-4487.
Unexpected Departures
If a student ceases working before originally planned, you must terminate their employment online as of their last day of work. Students will be not be able to get another job until this has been done.
Unsatisfactory Performance
If assistance is needed in dealing with a student concerning job-related problems, please contact us.
If a student's job performance is unsatisfactory, you must first discuss the situation with them. You must make an effort to assist the student in improving their performance by clearly communicating expectations. A verbal warning is appropriate at this point.
If the situation does not improve, employers must describe, in writing, problems with the student's job performance and maintain written records.
Termination & Dismissal
Employers are not obligated to retain a student if they do not meet the standards set upon employment or if they abuse any privileges; however, it is important to allow them to improve once they have been informed of any concerns with job performance.
A student may be terminated immediately in cases of:
- falsifying a timesheet
- stealing
- insubordination
- breach of confidentiality
- physical or sexual abuse
If a student is terminated, a copy of the termination letter must be sent to the student employment coordinator.