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. In addition, supervisors are asked to formally evaluate all students’ work performance at least once per program (academic year or summer).
Evaluation forms are available on the Business Link or Faculty Link. A request to evaluate students’ performances is sent in April for the academic year and in August for the summer program.
For each of your student employees:
- Complete the on-line evaluation.
- Discuss the evaluation with the student.
- Submit the on-line evaluation.
All evaluations are reviewed by the Student Employment Services staff. Once evaluations are reviewed, supervisors may make no further updates.
Complete an evaluation for every student who worked with you for at least two months during the program, whether or not they are still working with you at the time of the evaluation.
We also ask students to complete a confidential evaluation of their work experience in your department. These evaluations are available on the Student Link. A request to evaluate their work experience is sent in April for the academic year and in August for the summer program.
The evaluation process also provides an opportunity for supervisors to discuss with students whether they will return to the job for the next program (academic year and/or summer).
