Employment Forms and Required Documents
Student Standards
Overtime - Student Employee Benefits - Jury Duty
Educational Leave Program Status
Summer Employment
Work Schedule - Rest Periods
Minimum Wage
Effective 1/1/25 the new minimum wage in California will increase to: $16.50. The adjustment of any student earning less than the new minimum wage will automatically increase effective 12/22/2024 in accordance with UC mandate. No action required.
Additional information regarding past and future minimum wage adjustments in California can be found here.
Employment Forms
Student employees must report to the Student Employment Services (SES) office prior to their first day of work to complete all necessary hiring forms. The student employee must not accrue work hours until they have completed all the necessary hiring forms. It is critical that all hiring documents are dated with the same date. That date must be on or before the student employee's first day of employment.
It is the policy of the university that all individuals must sign the State Oath of Allegiance (unless a non-citizen) and Patent Agreement prior to commencing employment. Supervisors are responsible for assuring that work is not performed prior to employment authorization. The individual is not an employee of the university until the Oath and Patent Agreement are signed. If employment forms are not completed before work commences, damage payment forms will need to be completed by the employing department, and the student's paycheck will be considerably delayed.
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
In accordance with the Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, no one will be hired or re-hired for any UC Merced position without providing documentation to establish proof of identity and employment eligibility. Students must be prepared to show the Student Employment Office original documents, and provide those documents before they will be allowed to sign university employment forms. Column A documents will satisfy the requirements for both identity and employment eligibility. In lieu of Column A documents, hired individuals must supply one of the documents listed in Column B along with one of the documents listed in Column C.
Immigration and Naturalization Services Form I-9
Under the Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, employers must certify that anyone they hire is legally entitled to work in the U.S. This law applies to EVERYONE, native-born U.S citizens as well as immigrants, foreign visitors and naturalized citizens.
Whether a student intends to work on- or off campus (anywhere in the US), they must provide documentation of eligibility to work before they can be hired or re-hired. No one will be hired or re-hired at UC Merced for any position, including academic appointments, without proof of identity and employment eligibility. To avoid delays in hiring dates, late paychecks, etc., visit the link below the I-9 form and the list of acceptable documents.
I-9 List of Acceptable Documents
Employment Forms and Required Documents
Student Standards
A student's conduct on the job is to be that of an honest, reliable and helpful employee. Students are expected to abide by their department's specific standards.
It is the responsibility of the student to report to work on time, at the proper place, ready to work. All departments will have specific regulations covering absences, illness, etc., and students will be expected to abide by these regulations. In general, students should notify their supervisor immediately regarding illness or unusual circumstances.
Student employees are compensated only for hours worked. During the summer break students working 50 percent or more accrue sick time and holiday pay. Student employees are covered under Worker's Compensation.
Overtime - Student Employee Benefits - Jury Duty
Overtime
It is the supervisor's responsibility to make sure that their students do not exceed 18 hours a week during the fall and spring semester and 40 hours a week during semester breaks. Casual/restricted appointments assist students in gaining work experience and financial support while pursuing their educational objectives. The number of working hours must take into consideration the student’s educational workload.
During periods of academic break (spring break, winter break, summer break) student employees may work up to 40 hours per week. Hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week will be compensated at the required overtime rate.
Student Employee Benefits
Holiday Pay: To be eligible for holiday benefits pursuant to the University of California Staff Personnel Policy for Staff Members (PPSM): Part-time non-exempt employees on pay status 50 percent time or more of a month or quadriweekly cycle (excluding holiday hours) will receive holiday pay in proportion to the percentage of time they are on pay status. The benefit will only apply to Student Assistant employees who work more than 50 percent of a full-time schedule during the summer. During the academic year, students are limited to working no more than a total of 18 hours per week.
For specifics on these benefits, visit the University of California Staff Personnel Policy for Staff Members at https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010406/PPSM-2.210
Guidance for holiday pay eligibility for employees in casual restricted titles fall under PPSM2.210: Absence From Work
See : H. Holidays>1.Eligibility for Holiday Pay :
b. Part-Time Employee (Non-Exempt)
Part-time non-exempt employees on pay status 50 percent time or more of a quadriweekly cycle (excluding holiday hours) will receive holiday payin proportion to the percentage of time they are on pay status.
New or rehired part-time regular employees are not eligible for holiday pay for a holiday that occurs before the first day of their appointment or after they are separated from employment with the University
Sick Leave for Eligible Employees (Effective 1/1/25): To be eligible for sick leave benefits pursuant the University of California Staff Personnel Policy for Staff Members (PPSM):
Accrual Calculation: An eligible employee accrues sick leave based on hours on pay status. Sick leave is accrued at a factor of 0.046154 per hour (approximately eight hours of sick leave per month for an employee on full-time pay status). Eligible employees begin to accrue sick leave at the start of their appointments.
- The threshold for sick leave accrual has been removed, meaning all employees in eligible titles can now accrue paid sick leave, regardless of their appointment percentage.
- Unused sick leave will not be paid out upon separation.
- Students are allowed to use their sick leave only during a scheduled workday and must note the number of sick hours used on their timesheet (under Sick Leave). Sick Leave hours can move with students from job to job.
- Eligible employees may use sick leave in accordance with the PPSM policy.
- For specifics on these benefits, visit the University of California Staff Personnel Policy for Staff Members at https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010406/PPSM-2.210
Jury Duty
Students employed in Casual/Restricted positions are not eligible for pay for scheduled hours forfeited due to jury duty obligations.
Overtime - Student Benefits - Jury Duty
Educational Leave Program Status (ELP)
- Students who are employed in a campus position at the time they receive approval for ELP status may, upon the request of their supervisor, maintain their current campus position(s) for one semester (four months only) including summers. They may not apply for a new position while on ELP status. NOTE: if the student was previously on Federal Work Study status, the employer is now responsible for paying 100 percent of the student's wages earned while on approved ELP status.
- Students who are not employed in a campus position at the time they receive approval for ELP status are not eligible to apply for on- or off-campus jobs, including summer positions.
Student FICA Status
While on Approved Academic Leave of Absence, a student retaining UC employment for one semester will be charged DCP/Medicare, as they do not carry the requirement registered Departments to remain exempt. See Student FICA.
Summer Employment
Campus Departments must formally extend the appointment of those students who will continue to work over the summer. To extend employment the Hiring Manager must notify the appropriate payroll office by way of a Student Action form. Student employees should be extended only if there is reasonable certainty that the student will return to the same Department and job in the fall. In fall, they will need to provide only address changes, check disposition, or W-4 changes in order to update their UCPath employee record.
Students working in the summer are limited to 40 hours per week.
Student employees who work during the summer will see a change in their paychecks as FICA will be taken out during the months that they are not enrolled in a minimum number of Departments required for FICA exemption(6).
Students who are employed during the summer must purchase a summer parking permit. Visit http://taps.ucmerced.edu for more info.
Policy for Student Employees Graduating in Spring
Faculty and staff, upon request of the appropriate unit supervisor, may extend a student who is graduating at the end of spring semester for up to three months during the summer.
The criteria for extending graduating students are as follows:
- Graduating seniors must have been currently working and employed in their current positions during spring semester or prior to spring graduation to be eligible for extension through summer and can only retain their current positions.
- Extension through the summer must terminate the day before Fall instruction begins (first day of instruction).
- Graduating seniors may not apply for "new" campus positions after graduation.
- Graduating seniors from institutions other than a UC campus must be hired for summer only positions through UC Merced's Human Resources Department as a limited appointment.
A student employed during the summer is subject to withholding, unless the student is taking the minimum number of Departments established for Summer Session (6) and not employed on a full-time basis.
Work Schedules - Rest Periods
Undergraduate Student Employees
As stated above, student employees are not to work more than 18 hours per week while school is in session. They are entitled to work up to a maximum of 40 hours per week when school is not in session, between semesters and during summer vacation.
Rest Periods
Per Staff Personnel Policy 32-B.2: "A part-time employee may be granted one paid 15 minutes rest period for each work period of three continuous hours or more not to exceed two rest periods per day." This policy applies to Student Assistant employees. Additionally, lunch breaks will be taken at the discretion of the supervisor and will not be paid.
Meal Periods
An employee whose total workday is at least five hours will be provided with a meal period of at least 30 minutes unless the employee and their supervisor agree to waive this period or unless operational considerations require the employee to continue working during this period. An employee must be completely relieved from duty during meal periods. Meal periods are neither time worked nor time on pay status.
