Guidance for Casual Workers

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Once you have completed and submitted the casual aplication form for the first time, all your profile details, for example, personal information, work experience, education, etc will be saved on your account within the system. For each new casual assignment application you will be required to simply check and confirm that all the details are correct and that no changes are required.

Please ensure that you supply the University with your correct email address, as all communication from us, including any account activations will be by email.

Proof of your right to work in the UK

As part of the recruitment process, your manager will make arrangements for you to present your eligibility to work in the UK documentation in order for a copy to be taken. It is important that this takes place as soon as possible as your assignment letter cannot be issued for you to work until this documentation has been seen.

If you are a casual worker working in the UK on a student visa, in addition to your right to work in the UK documentation, you will also need to provide your line manager with a letter from your place of study confirming your official term-time dates for the current year.

We recognise that certain visa restrictions apply to some casual workers, and you are required to provide all relevant evidence to your manager. If you are successful in securing an assignment with the University, then your right to work information will be stored in UniCore.

It is the casual workers responsibility to ensure that they keep to the terms of their visa.

Working in the UK for student casual workers

Letter of assignment

Once all the above information has been received by HR, your casual worker record will be set up, and you will be issued with a ‘Letter of Assignment’ by email. This email will contain the key details and summary terms and conditions document covering all aspects of the working arrangements including, but not limited to, confidentiality, holiday, sickness absence, pension scheme information and health and safety; as well as your employee number and assignment number, which you will need to be able to complete your timecards.

You should not start working at the University until your letter of assignment has been received. You will need to liaise with your assigned contact within the school/department in relation to your hours of work and the completion of your timecards.

Induction and training

In UniCore, on the first day of your assignment, you will be automatically assigned a journey which will provide prompts on actions and activities you need to undertake as part of the induction process.

You will be taken through an induction process specific for your particular role and workplace by your school/department contact. The induction will include, but is not limited to, a tour of the workplace facilities and health and safety procedures.

You will be provided with adequate training for the tasks you have been engaged to complete, where necessary and appropriate. Training will normally take place on the first day of the assignment.

Timecards

In order to receive payment for the casual work you have completed, you will need to submit timecards on a weekly basis.  Your manager will inform you of the process in your school/department.

Your timecards, will be completed in UniCore, either by using the Webclock functionality or entering the hours using the Time and Labour module. This will require the appropriate approval from your school/department contact authorising the hours you have worked, local practices vary in terms of whom authorises a casual worker's pay. Please consult with your school/department contact for any queries as Payroll will be unable to process a timecard without the correct authorisation.

Timecards should be submitted and completed weekly. Approved timecards will be processed by Payroll for payment on the official pay date for that month.  Any timecards received in Payroll after that date will be paid on the official pay date for the following month.

Please note that if there are multiple casual assignments and one weekly timecard is not approved then all timecards for that week are impacted and you will not receive payment for any work undertaken.  Please discuss any concerns with your relevant manager(s).

If no timecard claims are submitted until the very end of an assignment there is a real risk that the record may have been closed. All outstanding timecards should be submitted at the latest; within two months of the projected end date of the assignment (project end date is indicated on the letter of assignment).

Hours of work

Your hours of work will be arranged by the assigned contact within the school/department. These are likely to vary throughout the duration of your assignment as this will depend on the requirements of the school/department. You are advised to keep a record of your hours worked to assist you in completing your weekly timecard accurately.

Rate of pay

Your hourly rate of pay will be quoted on the letter of assignment. This will have been pre-agreed within the school/department, in alignment with the University's salary scales. Should you have any queries regarding this, please speak to your contact within the relevant school/department.

Pay dates

Pay day for all staff is the penultimate working day of each month. The specific pay dates and deadlines for each month are available on the Payroll web pages.

Accessing payslips

In UniCore you can access and download your payslips, including P60’s where relevant. Payslips will be available in line with the pay dates. Each time you receive a new payslip it is good practice to review it to ensure all the details are correct.

It is important that the contact information the University holds about you is correct and up-to-date; please ensure that you check your personal details section in UniCore on a regular basis.

Extension of an assignment

On occasion, and by mutual agreement, casual worker assignments may be extended in order for a piece of work to be completed. The contact within the school/department will be required to submit an extension request in advance of the original projected end date as this will require approval by the budget holder, before HR and Payroll are able to implement this change.

Termination

Your assignment will automatically terminate when you have completed the tasks for which you have been engaged to do. The University has no obligation to offer any other work or assignments in the future. Both parties are able to terminate the casual working arrangement at any time during the assignment period upon giving one week's notice.