Hiring A Student Worker

Co-op Students

Co-op student appointments are different from other student appointments due to the formal academic aspect. Students need to apply to the Co-op program and meet the programs guidelines in order to be accepted into the program.

To be eligible for a Co-op student appointment position, a student must be enrolled in a Co-op program from a Canadian institution. Once accepted into a Co-op program, an international students would apply for an off-campus work permit and would need to obtain the work permit prior to accepting any Co-op positions.

Note: Prior to offering a Co-op position to a student, please ensure you confirm with the Co-op office that the student is able to legally work for UBC and you review the student’s permit information if applicable.

Co-op positions are usually advertised via the Co-op Offices. They can either be advertised at all Co-op offices or certain Co-op offices. In order to hire a student into a Co-op position, the student must be in the Co-op program. If you are unsure whether or not the student is a Co-op student, please check with the Co-op Office. For information about how to advertise a Co-op position or additional information about hiring Co-op students, please contact the respective Co-op Office. If departments need assistance with the Co-op job description, the Co-op Office can provide support.

Note: for Co-op positions, the Co-op Office, upon confirmation from the department, will make the verbal offer to the student. Once the student accepts the Co-op student appointment, the department will need to create the offer letter and send in the student appointment form to Payroll.

The supervisor needs to have performance reviews/discussions with the Co-op student as the student needs to meet his/her learning objectives and goals. The Co-op Coordinator will meet with both the supervisor and Co-op student together midway through the appointment to review how things are going and if the student is on-track to meet his/her objectives.

If any issues and/or concerns arise, the Co-op Coordinator is contact person and resource for both students and departments.

Eligibility For Student Appointments (Excluding Co-op)

To be eligible for a student appointment, a student must be enrolled in a Canadian institution and maintain a minimum of 18 credits in the Winter session and a minimum of 9 credits in the Summer session.

Note: A student is no longer considered a student after his/her convocation date. However, in practice, we have allowed students to continue working until the end of the term. For example, if a student’s convocation is in May, he/she could continue in his/her student appointment until the end of August. If a student’s convocation is in November, he/she could continue in his/her student appointment until the end of December.

The department is responsible for confirming student workers maintain the minimum credits as outlined above. If a student drops or withdraws from courses causing the number of credits to fall below the minimum credit requirement, the department must terminate the student’s employment. It is also the department’s responsibility to ensure a student is not on academic probation in order for the student to maintain his/her student appointment.

International students studying at UBC who are in possession of a valid student visa are eligible for student work opportunities provided by UBC. They do not require any further permission from the federal government to work on campus. If an international student is studying at another Canadian institution, he/she must have an off-campus work permit in order to work for UBC.

All students, whether international students or not, must have a SIN assigned to them before they can be paid by UBC. The SIN is not an employment authorization. It registers the student with Revenue Canada so that statutory deductions will be recorded properly.

Advertising a Student Position

CUPE 2278 positions for a September to April period are required to be posted in accordance with Article 13 of the CUPE 2278 collective agreement by the preceding March 31. For more information, please refer to the CUPE 2278 collective agreement.

Other student positions do not require posting. You may choose to advertise on your department’s website. UBC departments can post UBC jobs for free on the UBC Career Services website. Please refer to the Career Services website for details.

Searching & Selecting (the Interview)

It is always recommended to interview applicants and conduct two to three supervisory reference checks on your top candidate, including a reference from his/her current supervisor if applicable.

Note: A best practice is to develop interview questions relevant to the position, similar to what you do for a staff position.

During the interview, the department should ask the student if he/she currently holds any other active student appointments. It is beneficial to both the student and the department to address this topic prior to making an offer, not only to determine if the student’s hours per week exceed the practiced maximum, but also to ascertain if the student is able to reasonably meet the commitments required to successfully perform the role.

It is important to consult collective agreements for unionized CUPE 2278 positions as some positions will have recall rights. For instance, once an individual has held a TA appointment, it is expected (barring unsatisfactory evaluations) that they will be reappointed. See Article 13.03, Criteria of Reappointment, of the CUPE 2278 collective agreement.

Making an Offer

Remember that a verbal offer is considered binding. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Department Administrator/HR Manager and/or UBC HR prior to making a verbal offer.

If any student position requires the student to work with children or vulnerable adults, the offer of employment must be made contingent on the results of a Criminal Records Check (CRC). For further information on when a CRC is required and the process for conducting a CRC, see Criminal Records Checks at UBC.

Departments are responsible for creating student offer letters, except for Miscellaneous jobs. You must ensure the offer letter indicates that the terms and conditions of their employment are subject to the Employment Standards Act. If you need assistance with drafting the offer letter, please contact UBC HR. Offer letters for Miscellaneous jobs are sent to the department by UBC HR.

Note: ensure you place a copy of the student’s offer letter in your departmental files. Ensure that the student’s position, wage (hourly or monthly), and dates of employment are included in the letter and the letter is on department letterhead with the appropriate signatures.

Paperwork

Student appointments are sent directly to UBC Payroll for processing once the form has been signed by your department’s signing authority.

• Exceptions: student paperwork for CUPE 2950, CUPE 116, and Miscellaneous job codes must be sent to Advisory Services in UBC Human Resources for review.

Have student workers complete the required finance forms, TD1 and BC TD1 tax forms and the direct deposit form, and send the completed finance forms to Payroll directly.

Pay

Student workers must complete their timesheets and submit their timesheets to the department. It is the department’s responsibility to ensure the student knows the deadline for submitting timesheets and to forward the timesheets to Payroll.

Students workers are not eligible for honorariums.

Students can check their paystubs online via their CWL self-service portal.

Common Types Of Student Appointments