What is a casual worker?
A casual worker is someone who is able to work on a flexible basis, usually for a short period of time, to meet changing demands and peak workloads. They should not be used to ‘trial’ an individual, nor should they be engaged into regular work within a pattern.
The term “casual” refers to circumstances where there is a clear understanding that the individual has no obligation to be available for work, and the University has no obligation to provide work.
Casual workers are only paid for hours worked, plus any accrued statutory annual leave.
How does a casual worker differ from an employee?
Casual workers have fewer rights compared to employees. Casual workers are given statutory protection which recognises they are in a subordinate position to the person for whom they work. They therefore have certain rights under the working time and whistleblowing legislation and protection from discrimination.
How long can a School/Department agree to engage a casual worker for?
Casual contract engagements should be used in unexpected situations where alternative staffing options have been explored. Casual worker engagements should be for unexpected situations of less than 12 weeks* or where the nature of the role is ad-hoc, which is defined as infrequent and/or has irregular hours.
Casual workers should not be requested to undertake activities for which they will not be paid, this includes training or meetings which they are required to attend. Where the contract duties include teaching, the faculty teaching norms should be adhered to.
What rights do casual workers have compared to employees?
Casual workers are issued with a letter of assignment that includes a summary of their terms and conditions rather than a formal contract. This outlines the terms including holiday, sickness absence, pension schemes and health and safety.
Workers are entitled to some limited employment rights, such as protection under the Working Time Regulations (including holiday) and the minimum wage. If you have any specific queries relating to employment rights you could contact the Casual Worker Team for advice and guidance.
Where do I direct students who are interested in temporary work?
JobZone is a team within the Careers and Employability Service providing opportunities for students to gain work experience and earn whilst completing their studies.
Where do I go if I have to fill the specific needs of a casual assignment?
UniCore will be able to advertise to source individuals to meet your specific requirements.
JobZone, will be able to match students with your specific requirements.
What information should be completed on the 'casual worker job requisition form' and the 'casual application form', and who should complete which section?
All sections of the casual worker job requisition form will need to be completed by the appropriate person within the school/department and approved in order to start the process.
Upon approval of the casual worker job requisition form, the Casual Worker Team will automatically advertise the position.
The casual worker should then complete all sections of the casual application form as soon as possible and submit. Upon confirmation of the candidate to be offered (this includes the attachment of a copy of the casual workers eligibility to work in the UK documentation), HR will process the casual workers letter of assignment.
Why does the casual worker position and job requisition form ask for a start and end date of the work to be undertaken?
his is important information as it enables HR to accurately record the start and end date for each assignment. Casual assignments cannot be open-ended; therefore, a projected end date must be included. Should circumstances change during the casual assignment, then the manager will be required to submit a casual worker extension request via the UniCore system, or if the assignment ends earlier than projected, an end of assignment document of record in UniCore will need to completed.
What is the difference between a casual worker and a visiting/guest lecturer?
A visiting/guest lecturer is an individual who provides a one–off talk or short series of talks on a subject about which they have specialist knowledge and is not part of the core curriculum.
The relevant school/department is responsible for issuing the letter of engagement to the visiting/guest lecturer and all relevant documentation can be found on the Procurement Workspace pages.
In order for a payment to be processed by Payroll, the visiting/guest lecturer should complete the payment request form in full, obtain the appropriate authorisation and attach their letter of engagement.
If an assignment involves teaching, what principles are used to ensure appropriate support and guidance are in place?
What teaching support activities are appropriate for a demonstrator role?
Demonstrator roles assist and support students in a laboratory, practical session or field work activity and may include:
- Attending any training required by the school for the role (if so this should be paid).
- Familiarisation with protocols, equipment or other information, including carrying out relevant exercises and experiments themselves beforehand.
- Setting up laboratories or classrooms and the equipment, software or consumables required for a class.
- Involvement in assisting in the assessment/marking of practical activities, reports associated with practical activities and or/lb books – normally in class and subject to moderation by the responsible member of academic staff.
- Providing support and guidance to students on technical procedures, techniques, safety and data manipulation.
- Providing feedback to the relevant lecturer and technical staff on any problems encountered, and to provide marking/assessment results.
The majority of time in a demonstrator role is spent in direct contact with students with the lead academic present, whereas teaching associates or similar roles would typically have a higher proportion of time outside of direct contact for preparing and reviewing course materials, marking and assessment, as well as student contact and support. Teaching associates provide support with a range of teaching-related activities including the preparation and delivery of lectures and seminars that can take place without supervision of an academic lead.
Demonstrators are expected to be closely supervised by the academic member of staff responsible for a session, and it is expected that the academic staff member will be in the class or readily available and contactable if required.
Does the Casual Worker require Enhanced DBS clearance?
If it is a condition of the casual worker assignment that satisfactory enhanced disclosure is obtained from the ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ (please note: DBS, the Disclosure and Barring Service has replaced the Criminal Records Bureau) you will need to contact a member of the Casual Worker Team or via the helpdesk in UniCore or by email: br-hr-casuals@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk.
Upon completion of the casual job requisition form, the manager will also need to provide HR with the following details:
From the list below, which workforce will the casual worker be involved working with:
a) Enhanced DBS working with children*
b) Enhanced DBS – working with vulnerable adults*
c) Enhanced DBS – working with both children and adults
d) Enhanced DBS with list checks -Vulnerable Adult Barred Lists**
f) Enhanced DBS with list checks – Children Barred List**
g) Enhanced DBS with list checks – Vulnerable Adult and Children Barred Lists**
You will also be asked to provide the details of the project code you wish for the DBS processing charge to be costed to.
Does the casual worker require Disclosure Scotland clearance?
If it is a condition of the casual worker assignment that satisfactory basic disclosure Scotland clearance is obtained you will need to contact a member of the Casual Worker Team or via the helpdesk in UniCore or by email: br-hr-casuals@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk.
Upon completion of the casual job requisition form, the manager will also need to indicate to HR that Disclosure Scotland clearance is required.
You will also be asked to provide the details of the project code you wish for the DBS processing charge to be costed to.
How do I agree the right rate of pay for the work assigned?
Pay for casual worker assignments should be reasonable and proportionate to the work completed.
The casual worker position and job requisition forms require an hourly rate of pay to be declared for the casual worker, this must concur with the University salary scales. The total budget allocated for casual work will need to be approved by the budget holder via the casual job requisition process before engaging the casual worker in the assignment.
For teaching related assignments, please refer to the Principles for working with Teaching Affiliates and Faculty Teaching Norms documents which set out how to ensure casual workers are paid appropriately for teaching related tasks.
If you have any questions regarding this, then please contact the Casual Worker team for more information.
Are casual workers entitled to holiday pay?
Yes, but on both the casual worker position and job requisition forms, and the claim for work timecard, please ensure that it is only the hourly rate excluding holiday pay quoted as this will be calculated by Payroll. For further information regarding holiday pay for casual workers then please contact
Payroll Services.
How is holiday pay calculated?
Holiday pay is calculated at 12.07% for each hour worked.
Are casual workers expected to be paid at the bottom of the respective scale?
The principle of paying all staff at the bottom of the relevant pay scale as a starting point is good practice and applies to casual workers (where a casual worker assignment involves similar role requirements to that of an already established role). Please contact the Casual Worker Team for further information.
As casual assignments are only for a short period of time, should the pay of a casual worker progress through the relevant pay scale?
Under normal circumstances, casual pay remains static and a casual worker is not entitled to progress under the normal progression rules applied for employees. There is no expectation that casual workers should undertake an ADC annually.
Where can I go to get further advice and guidance on the rates of pay?
Rates of pay under the different job families are available via the University salary scales.
Where can I find a timecards?
Timecards are completed in
UniCore.
Where do I send the timecard once completed?
Timecards are completed and approved in UniCore on a weekly basis. Once approved they will automatically be shared with Payroll for processing.
Will timecards submitted in advance of the hours being worked be paid?
Timecards submitted in advance of the hours being worked will NOT be paid under any circumstances.
If a casual worker is claiming for various casual jobs in the same school/department, do they need to fill out a different claim form for each job, for example someone who does invigilating, teaching and doing open days, at three different pay rates?
In this case separate timecards would need to be completed to ensure that the right hours for the right pay are recorded and paid to the worker. The casual worker would receive separate assignment numbers in this instance and the timecards should specify which assignment each claim relates to.
Who should authorise the casual worker's timesheet?
This varies between schools/departments, casual workers should contact the relevant individual within their area should there be any queries. The casual worker should complete a weekly timecard in UniCore and this must be approved by the line manager, within the payroll deadlines for each month. This is to verify that the work has been completed at the agreed hourly rate.
Please note that if there are multiple assignments and one timecard is not approved then all timecards are impacted and the casual worker will not receive payment for any work undertaken.
Does your casual worker require vaccinations?
The majority of roles at the University of Nottingham will not require vaccinations. If you are unsure as to whether a specific casual worker assignment will require vaccinations, please contact either Occupational Health on 0115 95 14329 or your
HR Business Partner.
Does the casual worker require professional registration?
Anyone wishing to practise one of the regulated professions must register with an appropriate regulator.
Depending on the assignment will depend on the registration required,
- GMC Registration and License
- GOC Registration (General Optical Council)
- GPhC Registration (General Pharmaceutical Council)
- HCPC Registration
- RCVS Registration
Does the casual worker assignment require additional pre-engagement verification checks?
These are exceptional additional verification checks for a small number of roles; all checks should be necessary, proportional and add real value. Please seek advice, if you feel that this would be necessary, with the Casual Worker Team.