Supervisor Duties
A primary responsibility is to ensure that hourly paid students’ timesheets are filled out and submitted, then review and submitted by student supervisor. An Overview of Student Timesheets is available as a general guide, which should reinforce information provided by your department’s Payroll Coordinator(s).
- Establish student work schedules.
- Ensure that students do not work during scheduled class times.
- Ensure that students take a half-hour (minimum) unpaid break if working six or more continuous hours.
- Find more information regarding student breaks and unpaid time.
Eligible students may also accrue sick time. To learn more about eligibility, checking and applying sick time, refer to our Earned Sick Time section.
In the possibility of irreconcilable difference, please refer to Navigating Employee Performance and Job Termination to understand the termination process, especially in case of poor performance or lack of work.
Additional Supervisor Duties
Supervisors of student workers are expected to:
- Orient the student in detail to his or her role in the department.
- Explain the standards of behavior expected of employees.
- Provide the training necessary to perform tasks.
- Ensure that students are performing the tasks defined in their job descriptions.
- Ensure adequate supervision of student work.
- Keep lines of communication open, clear, and constructive.
- Treat students in accordance with their rights, which are the same as those of all employees as defined by applicable state, federal, and University regulations.
- Provide a work space that is free from hazards.
- Verify the accuracy of student time entry.
- Set a good example.
- Submit student job evaluation(s) at the end of the semester or program period.
and if they oversee Work-Study students,
Various student employee job responsibilities are outlined to clarify what supervisors should expect from their student employees.
Breaks and Unpaid Time
Hourly-paid student workers are paid only for hours worked. Supervisors should not record holidays or snow days on which students have not worked, sick days, lunch, or break periods as hours worked.
Holidays Worked
Students who work on holidays do not receive premium holiday pay.
Required Break
Students working more than six consecutive hours are required by law to take a half-hour unpaid break. Such breaks must be reflected on students’ timesheets. Read official BU policy on required student breaks.
Jury Duty
In compliance with Massachusetts state law, students are paid according to their normal work schedule when absent for the first three days of jury duty. Contact Student Payroll for instructions if your student is required to serve more than three days of jury duty.
Promotions
Supervisors may grant a student worker a promotion to a higher grade level. You should promote a student if either:
- An off-cycle increase you wish to give the student will raise his or her pay rate above the base rate of the next-higher job grade.
- The student’s job responsibilities increase substantially.
Promotion which involve a job title change will require terminating the student from the current job and then hiring him or her into the new, higher-level job.
The Payroll Coordinator must process all terminations through the Terminations function on the BU Works Fiori Application.
Note: A promoted student’s new pay rate must reflect any longevity increases previously accrued.
Student Job Evaluations
We encourage you to give student employees ongoing feedback about their work performance. SEO is currently revising the formal evaluation process and will provide updated guidance for your student employees. Until that time, we recommend supervisors to regularly check in with their student employees on shared learning objectives and performance expectations.
