LSU Health Sciences Center Human Resource Management
 

Student Worker Policies and Procedures

Minimum Qualifications

To be eligible for employment as a Student Worker at LSUHSC-N.O., an individual must be a full time student in good standing; enrolled in an accredited high school, junior college, college or university, or a vocational-technical school operated by the State of Louisiana. Individuals enrolled at privately owned business schools or secretarial schools will not qualify.
The definition of a full-time student will rely on the definition used by the institution in which the student is enrolled. Further, if an undergraduate student is in his last semester then any amount of credit hours are acceptable.

Approval to hire a student worker should be obtained from the appropriate administrative official; Department Head, Dean's Office, director, etc.

PRIOR TO THE SELECTED STUDENT BEING HIRED OR STARTING WORK, HIRING DEPARTMENTS MUST COMPLETE and collect the following necessary appointment documents for submission to Human Resource Management.  In addition, a completed packet of the LSUHSC - New Orleans Policies (Equal Employment Opportunity, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The Family and Medical Leave Act, Violence in the Workplace, Drug Prevention Program, Drug Testing Program, Sexual Harassment, and PM-23 Drug Free Workplace Policies) must be given to the prospective student worker and the acknowledgement form of such policies is completed

 

LSUHSC-N.O. departments that are employing a student are required to re-certify the full time status and good standing of each student at the beginning of each new semester. This re-certification can be accomplished in three ways: a) by completing the "Application For Student Employment" form and having it signed and verified by the school official; or b) having the institution complete the "Request For Academic Certification" form (fax or mail); or c) obtaining a letter from the registrar that certifies the student's full time status and good standing. The re-certification documents must be retained by the employing department.

Once employed by LSUHSC-N.O., students are required to notify the employing department of any change in their full time status or in their academic or disciplinary standing at the institution.

Any student that is placed on academic or disciplinary probation must resign from their student worker position immediately.

Student workers should not be allowed to work in direct reporting relationships to any immediate family members.

The LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans reserves the right to terminate a Student Worker at any time.

Students are not to work in excess of 20 hours per week (or an average of 20 hours/week - not to exceed 40 hours per pay period) during any week in which classes are in session or exams are scheduled for that full week.

Students shall only be paid for actual hours worked.

Only LSU Health Sciences Students working 20 or fewer hours per week during the period they are attending school will be exempt from F.I.C.A. withholding taxes. F.I.C.A witholding taxes must be paid by all other students and by LSU Health Sciences Center students when they work more than 20 hours per week while attending school or during breaks in the academic calendar.

It is HR’s recommendation that at the discretion of the employing department, students may be given one merit increase within the particular Pay Scale after accumulating 12 working months of part time (equivalent) LSUHSC-N.O. experience; but not more often than every 12 calendar months. Since students are limited to 20 hours per week during school, full time work (40 hours/week) that might be performed during semester breaks or during the summer, will be counted as twice the amount of LSUHSC-N.O. work experience for the purpose of determining eligibility for step increases.

Hiring departments should specifically identify the scale and step in the comments section of the PER-2 when a Student Worker is hired. The comments section of a PER-3 should be similarly annotated when moving a Student Worker from one Pay Scale to another, or giving a merit increase on the same scale.
 

How to Hire a Student Worker

  1. Obtain approval to hire a student worker from appropriate administrative official; Department head, Dean's Office, Director, etc.

  2. Determine the duties and responsibilities of the position to be filled by a Student Worker.

  3. Determine the minimum qualifications of a Student Worker that would be needed to complete the duties and responsibilities.

  4. Based on the above, determine the Scale (A, B, C, or D) on the Student Worker Pay Scale that will be applicable to the position.

  5. Solicit qualified applicants for the particular Student Worker position. Human Resource Management typically has a pool of student applicants.

  6. Screen applications and interview qualified candidates.

  7. Select best qualified candidate and determine the starting Step Level on the Scale previously selected for the position. Departments will have the discretion of appointing at any of the first three steps based on the nature of the work performed, the relevant work experience of the student, the student's academic level, and the student's academic performance.

  8. PRIOR TO THE SELECTED STUDENT BEING HIRED OR STARTING WORK, HIRING DEPARTMENTS MUST COMPLETE and collect the following necessary appointment documents for submission to Human Resource Management.  In addition, a completed packet of the LSUHSC - New Orleans Policies (Equal Employment Opportunity, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The Family and Medical Leave Act, Violence in the Workplace, Drug Prevention Program, Drug Testing Program, Sexual Harassment, and PM-23 Drug Free Workplace Policies) must be given to the prospective student worker and the acknowledgement form of such policies is completed:

The issuing authority will issue a Work Permit to LSUHSC that must then be included in the student's hiring package. The "Intention To Employ" form can be obtained from departmental offices, Deans Offices, Human Resource Management, or the LSUHSC-N.O. Website.

The Student Worker Classification and Pay Scale has been revised to reflect the new Federal minimum wage effective 7/24/09.  It is designed to reflect the differences in job duties and responsibilities within the structure of the scales and brings clarity and consistency to the assignment and pay rates for student workers across the LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans Campus.  It consists of 4 scales and 5 steps and includes frequency with which step increases may be given as 12 months.  Please note that besides for the minimum wage requirement, the pay scale is only a recommendation for classifying and paying the student worker.


Scale A

To be used for student workers who are performing tasks that are routine and basic in nature. They typically provide general clerical support in an office setting, perform largely manual labor, or non-technical tasks in a laboratory environment. Examples of work: answer phones; make copies; deliver items; file documents; take messages; escort patients; type or word process; sort and distribute mail; assemble reports, prepare mail-outs, perform janitorial duties; mow grass, wash glass-ware; clean bench tops; obtain and copy journal articles; stock shelves, assist in inventories. Scale A positions would work under close and direct supervision. Scale A positions would be open to all eligible students.


Scale B

To be used for student workers who perform para-professional duties and have responsibilities that require some independent judgment, knowledge of subject and high levels of accuracy. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, are typically essential at the Scale B level. Examples of work: independently prepare prior approval and travel voucher forms on behalf of faculty/staff; collect complex data from multiple sources while performing database management functions; assist a technician or postdoctoral fellow by performing routine procedures, assist with sample preparation, and monitor instrumentation in a lab setting; provide answers and information to the general public that are not always routine in nature; post and balance to accounting ledgers; maintain property control records; proofs typed material and revises documents. Scale B positions would work under general supervision. Scale B positions would be open to vo- tech, junior college and college students.


Scale C

To be used for student workers are assigned professional/technical duties and responsibilities. The position would typically be required to resolve problems that require interpretive judgment and the application of advanced knowledge and skills. A student worker at Scale C works from non-standardized formats and is given wide latitude for unreviewed action or decision. They could be expected to plan and implement a project. Work might be performed in a lab or clinic setting, academic areas or institutional support functions. Some examples of work are: provide technical guidance or training to staff; assemble, install or fabricate components of research apparatus or equipment; execute experimental protocols; record and analyze results; present data and participate in research team meetings and discussions, write and modify scientific programs; participate in planning of projects or develop new methods and procedures; install and support computer hardware, software and networks; serve as a "tutor"; assist licensed health care professionals in clinical patient care services; apply principles of engineering and physics to solve problems. Scale C positions would work independently under broad supervision. Scale C positions would require students who possess advanced knowledge and skills (Juniors, Seniors, graduate students) in specialized fields of study, such as Computer Science, Engineering, Basic Sciences, Library Science, Business Administration, Accounting, or Math, and they can be used as "tutors."


Scale D

This is an exclusive, restricted scale for student workers who perform highly responsible and complex professional/technical duties, assisting in areas related to patient care, clinical trials, and medical research. Scale D is only open to students who are working towards advanced degrees in health care related professions; Allied Health, Basic and Physical Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Studies, Medicine, or Nursing.
 

·        When a student worker position is being considered, first determine the duties and responsibilities that would be made part of the position. Then compare those duties/responsibilities to the descriptions of the four scales. The scale that best matches the profile of the position will be the scale used for determining the actual hourly pay rate of the eventual incumbent. Students performing similar duties with the same degree of competency should be paid from the same scale.

·        Student workers may be initially hired at Step 1 in the scale that best describes their job duties. Departments will have the discretion of appointing at any of the first three steps based on the nature of the work performed, the relevant work experience of the student, the student's academic level, and the student's academic performance.

·        At the discretion of the employing department, students may be given a one step merit increase within the particular Pay Scale after accumulating 12 working months of part time (equivalent) LSUHSC-N.O. experience; but not more often than every 12 calendar months. Since students are limited to 20 hours per week during school, full time work (40 hours/week) that might be performed during semester breaks or during the summer, will be counted as twice the amount of LSUHSC-N.O. work experience for the purpose of eligibility for merit increases.

o       For example, a student who begins working for LSUHSC-N.O. full time at the beginning of June and works 40 hours per week through August (3 months full time) would have accrued 6 months of part time equivalent experience towards earning a merit increase.

o       If the same student continued to work part time for LSUHSC-N.O. during the school year, he or she might accumulate 12 months of LSUHSC-N.O. work experience (part time equivalent) as early as March of the following year, but would not be eligible for a merit increase until the beginning of June the following year (12 calendar months).

·        A student worker may only be moved from one scale to another when 1) the duties and responsibilities of their position change substantially enough to qualify for the higher scale and 2) when the student meets any other required criteria for the higher scale.

·        When a student is moved from a lower scale to a higher scale, the student should be paid at the step on the next scale closest to, but not less than the next step on the previous scale. For example, a student being paid at Step 2 of Scale C ($9.90/hr) who is moved to Scale D would be paid at Step 1 of Scale D ($13.40/hr) because Step 3 of Scale C would pay $10.90/hr.

  • LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans Campus
    Student Worker Pay Scale

      1 2 3 4 5
    SCALE A $7.25 $7.25 $7.90 $8.65 $9.40
    SCALE B $7.40 $8.40 $9.40 $10.40 $11.40
    SCALE C $8.90 $9.90 $10.90 $11.90 $12.90
    SCALE D $13.40 $14.90 $16.40 $17.90 $19.40

Hiring Checklist for Student Workers

Per-2 Form (Indicate Pay Scale and Step in Comments Section)

Student Worker Application (Including Certification of full-time status by accredited school)

Employee Eligibility Verification (I-9) Form with proper documentations

Complete W-4 and L - 4 (Tax Withholding Forms)

Biographical Data Form

      Is student less than 18 years old?  If YES, then also provide:

Intention to Employ Form (Work Permit Form - Provide only if student is less than 18 years old)

Direct Deposit Form

Invitation to Self-Identification

Data Protection Form

Oath of Affirmation

This Checklist is intended to be a working aid to assist the departmental Business Manager or administrator in identifying and completing all the necessary forms related to the appointment of a student worker.

 

Download Student Worker Documents

To be able to view some of our forms, Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required.  For a free download of the Adobe Acrobat Reader, please click the icon adobe acrobat reader.

Disclaimer © 2013 LSUHSC Privacy Policy