Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions and their Answers. Please email studentjobs@uic.edu for further queries.

I need to hire a student. What do I do?

Please visit our Hiring Procedures page on how to proceed.

Can I pay the student whatever I want?

No, there is a Student Employment Wage Plan that has specific steps and qualifications for each step. Students must qualify based on actual work experience/volunteer experience for higher steps.

Can I have the student work right away?

The student CANNOT start work until all the necessary HR onboarding process is complete and the student is cleared for them to start working.

Does the student need to show any documents for employment?

Yes, like all other employees at the University, the student must show the appropriate employment documents. They must bring in original documents for the Employment Eligibility Verification.

What are the requirements for student employees?

A student must be registered for and maintain a minimum of 6 credit hours. Certain exceptions are made for a graduating senior who only needs less that 6 credit hours or if a student has financial, emotional, or physical hardships. This request is made through the Civil Service System. Please contact the Student Employment Office for details.

What is Banner?

Banner is the University’s integrated system. The HR and Payroll modules. An employee must be entered into Banner before time can be submitted.

How do I submit the hire information to be entered into Banner?

An authorized Student Employment HR Administrator must submit the hire information through HR Front End (HRFE). Once Student Employment receives the HRFE transaction, the transaction is applied and activated in Banner. Once active, departments can submit payroll hours.

What is a position number and why do I need to use it?

The Banner system requires a position number for each position class. Students will be pooled positions which means a unit can use the same position number for every student hired in a certain title. The position number’s information will default into a job which is held by an actual student employee. The unit completes and submits a New Student Employee Position Number Creation Form and the Student Employment Office processes it within 3 business days from the received date. At that time, you may check NBAPOSN for the position number assigned.

How do I track hours and submit time?

Students need to sign in on a daily basis. Departments can use the Daily Time Report. Every two weeks, the hours should then be submitted either through the web-time entry system or department originated through the Banner system.

My student worked over 8 hours? Is the student entitled for overtime?

Yes, by law, student employees are entitled to overtime if they work over 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in one week.

Are students entitled for paid lunches and breaks?

Payroll should reflect actual hours worked.  If a student works more than 5 hours continuously, they can be given a unpaid lunch.

Are students entitled to paid vacation or jury leave?

No. Students are paid on an hourly basis for time worked.

Can my student be left working alone in the office?

No. Student employees are not hired to replace FTE staff (e.g. Faculty, Academic Professional, Civil Service, Extra Help) and must always receive “line of sight” supervision. Student employment provides students with an opportunity to build professional and technical skills, it is essential to ensure that your student employees do not work unsupervised. A staff, faculty member, or administrator within the department should regularly monitor the student’s job duties and performance.

My student got injured on the job. What should I do?

Give the student a Supervisor’s First Report of Occupational Injury or Illness. They can visit any hospital that they choose, however the emergency room must complete the form. The form must be forwarded to the Office of Worker’s Compensation.

Why am I being charged FICA?

When a student is not registered for 6 hours or more, FICA will be automatically deducted. This will usually occur during the summer time when a student is not enrolled for classes. This is also a good signal that a student dropped below 6 credit hours during the fall/spring term. Contact Student Employment if this happens.