Student Employment Policies

Employees are expected to report to work on time. Please call the supervisor if an unforeseen problem prevents or delays arrival.

Departments may enforce rules/expectations for absenses or tardiness, especially if frequent absences disrupt the department’s ability to function.

The University or Richmond strives to achieve a healthy living, learning and work environment. The unlawful manufacture, dispensing, possession, use or distribution of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or illegal drugs by students or employees on University property is prohibited.

Read more about the Alcohol, Tobacco, & Other Drug Policy. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) is a comprehensive anti-discrimination statute that prohibits discrimination against “qualified individuals with disabilities.” A qualified individual with a disability is one who meets the skill, experience, education, and other job-related requirements of a position held or desired, and who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of a job.

In order to be eligible to request a reasonable accommodation under the ADA, an individual must be a University of Richmond employee and the accommodation must be required to perform an essential function or functions of his/her job. The reasonable accommodation requested must not place an undue hardship on the University of Richmond and must not cause a direct threat to others.

When an employee has a qualified disability (as defined by the ADA) which limits his or her ability to perform the essential functions of their job, it is the policy of the University of Richmond to provide a reasonable accommodation when necessary.

Student employees are students first. Students are encouraged to utilize the Student Resources available through Disability Services. Additional resources listed below.

Procedure for Requesting Accommodations through HR

ADA University of Richmond Employee Accommodation Request form

Report Disability Related Harassment/Discrimination 

Employees are expected to dress in a neat, clean, modest, and appropriate manner. Dress codes vary from job to job. Check with the supervisor.

Unless an employee is bound by a written contract, UR adheres to the principle of employment-at-will. In compliance with employment-at-will, the University or the individual employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time. The severance of the employment relationship may be based on good cause, bad cause or no cause at all.

All University of Richmond records and information relating to the University or its customers are confidential and employees must, therefore, treat all matters accordingly. No information related to the University, including but not limited to: documents, files, records, computer files or similar materials (except in the ordinary course of performing duties on behalf of the University) may be removed from the University’s premises without permission from your supervisor. Additionally, the contents of the University’s records or information related to the University’s business may not be disclosed to anyone, except where related to University business.

Read more about the Confidentiality policy.

The University of Richmond is committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations as well as maintaining the highest ethical standards of honesty and integrity. The goal of the compliance program is to facilitate this commitment. This Code applies to all parties representing the University, including student employees. In your role as an employee of the University, your conduct should be guided by the University’s Code of Organizational Ethics and Integrity. More information on the compliance program can be found at https://www.richmond.edu/compliance/.

All members of the University community are encouraged to discuss compliance-related questions or concerns directly with their supervisor, department chairs, deans, directors, or other members of the University administration. We also have a way to report concerns confidentially or anonymously through the Ethics and Compliance Helpline.  More information on the Ethics and Compliance Helpline is available on the compliance website and at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofRichmond&layout_id=27.

The University also has a policy prohibiting retaliation against individuals who raise compliance concerns and questions.  It is also available on the compliance website.

Please review the information referenced above and if you have questions about the University’s compliance program, feel free to contact your supervisor.

University of Richmond procedures and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibit the unauthorized release of confidential information about individual students.

Read more about the FERPA policy.

The University of Richmond’s fire safety guidelines and policies are intended to ensure the safety of University faculty, staff, and students. Speak with your manager to learn more about your deparment’s fire safety protocols.

Read more about Fire Safety.

The ability to speak freely, debate vigorously, and engage deeply with differing viewpoints is essential to the University’s mission of advancing knowledge and preparing students to flourish in a complex world. Freedom of expression enables the University community — students, faculty, and staff — to express their deeply held convictions, opinions, ideas, and matters of conscience and engage in vigorous debate, criticism, and counter-speech.

Read more about Guidance for Staff Members on the University of Richmond Statement on Free Expression.

Hazing is prohibited by both the University of Richmond and the Code of Virginia § 18.2-56.

Hazing is an act that, as an explicit or implicit condition for initiation to, admission into, affiliation with, or continued membership in a group organization, could be seen by a reasonable person as conduct that: endangers the physical health of an individual or causes mental distress to an individual through, for example, humiliating, intimidating, or demeaning treatment; destroys or removes public or private property; involves the consumption of alcohol, other drugs, or other substances; or violates any of the policies of the University of Richmond.

Read more about Hazing Prevention.

In case of illness, the employee needs to contact the supervisor and explain the problem prior to scheduled work time.

If mutually desired and circumstances permit, it may be possible to “make-up” missed hours at a different time in that Sunday-Saturday pay week so long as it will not result in overtime pay and it is genuinely serving a business need to do so. However, it is not permissible to schedule a student employee to work without meaningful work solely to preserve hours/pay.

In the event due to inclement weather the University cancels all in person classes/events and non-essential personal are not expected to report to work, student employees will be paid for that day only under the following conditions (all three conditions must apply):

• All classes/events scheduled for the day are canceled and non-essential personnel are not expected to report to work. A partial delay/closure does not meet this requirement.
• The student has regularly-scheduled hours on the day this occurs
• The student is unable to make up the hours missed within the same work week. This should be worked out with the student’s supervisor. 

Students whose hours and/or days vary during the week should not be paid for hours missed due to closure.  Whether these students must make up the hours missed should be considered on an individual basis based on the student employee, supervisor, and departmental needs.

All student employees are considered part-time employees and are expected to work fewer than 1000 regularly scheduled hours per year.

US citizens do not have a legal maximum limit of hours that they can work, however it is strongly recommended that students work no more than 20 hours per week during the academic year in order to maintain academic achievement. Also, the FICA student exemption requires students to be part-time and as a result students should not work more than 30 hours per week in all combined jobs to maintain part-time status.

During the summers, students are limited to working 40 hours or less per week (all jobs combined).  Students should not be scheduled to work more than 40 hours per week at any time, but if overtime is inadvertent, time and one half must be paid.

International students are limited to the number of hours they may work.  Please refer to the International Students section for more information.

Students must be paid time and one half for any hours worked over 40 hours in 1 week.  Overtime should never be scheduled and only used in extreme cases deemed necessary by the student’s supervisor.

The University of Richmond prohibits discrimination and harassment against applicants, students, faculty or staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, military or veteran status, or any classification protected by local, state or federal law.

Read more about the Policy Prohibiting Discrimination.

University of Richmond faculty and staff should conduct themselves respectfully, ethically, honestly, and with integrity in all dealings. They need to be fair and principled in their official interactions and to act in good faith in these matters with others both within and outside the University community. They should act with due recognition of their position of trust and loyalty with respect to the University and its students, employees, research sponsors, donors and visitors. When in doubt about the propriety of a proposed course of action, they should seek counsel from those colleagues, supervisors, or administrators who can assist in determining the right and appropriate course of conduct.

Read more about the Professional Expectations policy.

All employees are expected to meet generally accepted standards of performance and behavior. There are occasions, however, when even after counseling, discussion, and opportunities to improve, employees cannot or choose not to meet the required level of performance standards. The focus of performance management is on correcting employee performance.

Read more about the Progressive Discipline policy.

If a student decides to change jobs or quit working, it is customary to give their department prior notice before leaving. To determine how much notice students should give the student’s department, consider factors such as other staffing in the department. If unsure, two weeks notice is the standard notice.

While the overall responsibility for campus safety belongs to the University, each individual has a personal responsibility for the prevention of campus accidents. All faculty and staff are expected to ensure that safe and healthful conditions and procedures are provided and followed in their areas of control.

All faculty and staff are responsible for working safely and for reporting all unsafe conditions to their immediate supervisors. Supervisors and department heads are responsible for training employees in proper procedures, work practices, and safe methods in the workplace, particularly those requirements that are department specific. Supervisors must enforce University policy and take immediate corrective action to eliminate hazardous conditions and practices.

Read more about the Safety policy.

This prohibition includes all Sexual Harassment/Sexual Misconduct occurring in any Education Program or Activity operated by the University in the United States, in compliance with Title IX and its implementing regulations.

Read more about the Sexual Harassment & Misconduct Policy.

The University of Richmond prohibits smoking or vaping (e-cigarettes), inside classrooms and administrative buildings, residential facilities, dining areas, athletic facilities and university owned vehicles. Smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of the outside of any building to prevent smoke and e-cigarette vapors from entering through entrances, windows, ventilation systems, or other means.

Read more about the Smoking & Vaping Policy.

Students working under the Student Employment program are NOT eligible for unemployment compensation after termination of employment.

Student employees are not eligible for vacation pay, sick leave, or paid holiday benefits as this would classify them as “professional employees” as defined by the IRS and cause them to be ineligible for the student FICA exemption as outlined here.

Student employees should contact their manager(s) if they are unavailable to work their shift(s) due to illness or vacation. In some circumstances, it may be possible to “make-up” missed hours at a different time in that Sunday-Saturday pay week so long as it will not result in overtime pay and it is genuinely serving a business need to do so. Departments may enforce rules/expectations for absenses or tardiness, especially if frequent absences disrupt the department’s ability to function.

Student employees are part-time employees working fewer than 1000 regularly scheduled hours per year which means that they are not eligible for paid holiday leave, and are not eligible for additional pay if they were to work on an official university-observed holiday. However, as noted in the HR holidays policy, the University will make reasonable accommodations to employees who wish to observe religious holidays.

Student employees should discuss reasonable accommodations for holiday schedules with their managers prior to the holiday.

Examples of reasonable accommodation include:

1. Unpaid leave or an agreement the manager will not schedule the student employee to work that day.
2. If the student desires to work on a university-observed holiday, the business need exists and circumstances permit (such as being able to perform duties without direct supervision) they can work at their regular hourly rate that day (no premium pay). However, it is not permissible to schedule a student employee to work without meaningful work solely to preserve hours/pay.
3. Arrange to move the hours to a different day in that Sunday-Saturday pay week so long as it will not result in overtime pay and it is genuinely serving a business need to do so.

Students MAY NOT volunteer to work and provide the same type of services that is part of their regular employment duties. According to the Department of Labor, a volunteer is an individual who volunteers their time freely (without pressure or coercion) for religious or humanitarian objectives (services typically associated with volunteer work) without contemplation of benefit or compensation. A volunteer may not displace a regular employee, and the volunteer activity must be less than full-time.

Like University staff, student employees are covered under the University’s workers’ compensation insurance should a work-related injury occur (students, however, do not have other health and vacation benefits). Students should immediately contact their Supervisor, if an accident occurs, who will follow the reporting procedures.