1. Faculty / Staff
  2. Hire a Student
  3. Work Study Program

Work Study Program

EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Form (PDF, 200.3 kB)

Note for student positions:

As always, the health and safety of our student staff is paramount. Where possible, remote opportunities (rather than in-person) are preferred. Extra consideration is required by departments to ensure Work Study Student Staff feel safe at work during this period of COVID-19. Departments must apply the same considerations to student staff health and safety as you would to other staff. COVID-19 related information and resources are available on the university’s COVID Information web page and the Campus Operation Group web page. If you have any questions about health and safety for student staff and volunteers, please contact the Department of Environmental Health & Safety at safety@queensu.ca or ext. 32999.

The Work Study Program is offered jointly through Career Services and the Student Awards office. It is funded by Queen’s University. Please remember that work study roles are not to replace staff roles, but to provide an opportunity for students in financial need to receive priority for certain part-time jobs during their academic terms. Also, please remember that student roles including Graduate Teaching Assistants, Graduate Teaching Fellows, Graduate Research Assistants, and JD and MD Teaching Assistants at Queens are covered by the PSAC Unit 1 collective agreement. Additional information can be found on the Faculty Relations Office Website. Please check with your HR Advisor if you have any questions.

Please note that a student may not commence work until a signed contract has been confirmed by Career Services and returned to the employer.​​​​​​

Now        Students can submit their application for entitlement (to Student Awards)

Now        Employers can post their job opportunities for Fall/Winter term

10 Aug      Fall/Winter job postings available online to students

1 Sep       Students can begin their Fall/Winter or Fall term only Work Study position

15 Sep      Deadline for Work Study applications from students to Student Awards for entitlement

31 Dec      Last day a Work Study employee enrolled in Fall term only can work

4 Jan         Students can begin their Winter term only Work Study position

26 Apr       Last day a Work Study employee enrolled in Fall/Winter term or Winter term only can work

Note: Although you are faculty or staff at the University, for the purposes of hiring through Work Study, you are the "Employer"

Job descriptions are to be posted online through MyCareer, unless employers have a particular student in mind.

Students MUST first receive an entitlement or bursary from Student Awards to be able to be considered for Work Study positions. 

The job posting must describe the application procedure and requirements; all Work Study applicants must apply as instructed on the job posting.

Departments wishing to hire students through the work study program are responsible for first ensuring that the work being performed is not covered by any collective agreement or other policy.

Employers will review applications then commence with the hiring process from their applicant pool.

The department, faculty, school or organization which has posted the job is responsible for verifying eligibility of the candidates, arranging interviews, selecting a candidate, and making a job offer. 

  1. Download the contract, complete and return the contract, with all signatures, for review to the Work Study Coordinator electronically.
  2. The contract is not yet considered valid and the student cannot commence work.
  3. The Work Study Coordinator will verify the information, provide the job number and confirm with you via email. You will receive electronically the stamped contract which will indicate that it has been confirmed. The turnaround time for confirmation is 48 hours.

Is there a deadline for submitting my job?  

No, you can submit your job and hire a Work Study employee throughout the Fall/Winter or Summer terms (although it is not recommended to post near the end of the term when this phase of the program is wrapping up and getting ready to start the new phase).  See contract and instructions under "Work Study Contracts".

As a Work Study employer there are two (2) options for hiring a Work Study employee:

Option 1 Post your Work Study job on MyCareer

Choose this option if you do not have a student in mind for this position. Posting a job on MyCareer will enable you to collect resumes from students whose Work Study application have been approved (therefore they have an entitlement).

It is your responsibility to confirm with the student that they have received an entitlement from Student Awards.

In MyCareer, go to " Jobs" and click "Work Study" 

*If Work Study is not visible, please contact the Work Study Coordinator to update/confirm your permissions.

Option 2 Hire directly—do not post your Work Study job online

Choose this option if you have a student in mind for the position or if you are approached by a student expressing an interest in working for you or your department/non-profit organization AND who has had his/her application approved (therefore they have an entitlement) 

  1. Once your contract has been confirmed, it will be forwarded to Student Awards.
  2. You will receive a Self-Audit Form from Student Awards towards the end of the academic session.
  3. Once the Self-Audit Form has been completed and returned, you will receive a journal entry to the account code you provided.

PLEASE READ Contract Instructions  (PDF, 188 kB) 

Fall/Winter Contract (Fillable Form) (PDF, 91 kB) 

Summer Contract (Fillable Form) (PDF, 91 kB)

Please note:  Operational need and student availability will influence the number of work hours available up to the maximum supported by the program, which is included on the signed agreement.

Thank you for considering becoming a Work Study employer!  We hope that this will be a rewarding experience for you and the students working with you.

Please note that a student may not commence work until a signed and confirmed Agreement has been issued by Career Services to you.

Eligibility

To meet our initial criteria for being eligible as a Non-Profit Organization to use the Work Study program you must be able to answer yes to each of the following statements:

  • Your organization is located in Kingston or area
  • You have a formal workplace (not in the employer's home)
  • Student will work at formal workplace under supervision
  • You have a business email address
  • You have a website
  • You have a registered charity number
Process
  • Send an email to Coordinator (wkstudy@queensu.ca) with your request for 75% subsidy briefly outlining your purpose and circumstance for the request.
  • Submit a job description for each unique position you are hiring for.
  • Wait for approval decision before moving forward.
  • Post your position, interview and hire for your position, confirming students have a subsidy entitlement.
  • Send Coordinator request to hire student providing the student name and number.
  • Coordinator will complete Part 1 of the Agreement and send to employer to review, sign and send back to Coordinator along with EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Form.
  • A copy of the confirmed Part 1 will be sent back to the employer.
  • Around mid-March the Coordinator will send the employer a reminder to complete Part 2 of the Agreement and the EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Form for reimbursement.
If you have any questions please forward them to : wkstudy@queensu.ca

To work on campus in the Work Study Program students MUST have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

International students cannot apply for a SIN until after being hired by a Work Study employer.

The rate of pay is $14.35/hour plus vacation pay. If employees work more hours than their entitlements allow, it is the employer’s responsibility to pay the full cost of that portion of the salary and benefits that exceeds the employees’ entitlements.

The Work Study subsidy only applies to students who have received an entitlement by Student Awards.

To be eligible for a Work Study entitlement, students must meet the criteria for being in financial need.   

To ensure fairness for all students working under the program and to ensure a wide range of opportunities for students across the university, the rate of pay is $14.35/hour for all work study positions.  The $14.35/hour standard rate of pay is not negotiable between individual employers and their respective work study applicants.

 

Student Entitlement Breakdown
Entitlement Total Hours Hrs (entitlement divided by hourly pay)
$3,000      202
$2,000      134 
$1,500      101 
$1,000      67
$750         50
Pay & Eligibility/Entitlements 
The Work Study Program pays 75% of the employee’s hourly wage ($14.35/hour plus vacation pay). As the employer you are expected to pay 25% or $3.70 an hour, plus all employer paid premiums. 
The Work Study subsidy does not cover the employer’s regulated deductions, i.e. Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Employment Insurance (EI), Employment Health Tax (EHT), or Worker’s Compensation (WSIB). 
As an employer, do I have to provide all of the hours that the student is entitled to? 
No. You may hire the student for a part of his/her entitlement. 
For example, if the student has an entitlement for 205 hours and you have work for only 50 hours, you can hire the student for the 50 hours. A student is permitted to accept more than one job as long as the combined total hours associated with all of the Work Study jobs do not exceed the amount specified of the entitlement. Please be sure to clearly communicate to the student how many hours you are prepared to offer him/her at the time you hire. 

Please note that the following Queen’s Policy applies to Work Study students and should be used where applicable. If you have questions please contact Human Resources ext 32070. 

The Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and its regulations came into force September 4, 2001. They replace the Employment Standards Act R.S.O. 1990, c.E. 14 (the old ESA). However, the new ESA governs employment standards entitlements arising after September 4, 2001. There are only a few changes which impact on our policies at Queen’s University. The following is a description of the one area which results in a change to a Queen’s policy for casuals and student employees. 

Public Holidays 
Most employees are entitled to take the following ten public holidays off with public holiday pay: New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, December 26 (Boxing Day) 

Qualifying for Public Holiday Entitlements 

Generally, employees qualify for public holiday entitlements unless they fail, without reasonable cause, to work: 
• Their entire regularly-scheduled shift before or after the public holiday; or 
• Their entire shift on the public holiday if they agreed or were required to work that day. 

Public holiday pay is an amount equal to an employee’s regular wages ($) earned in the four work weeks prior to the public holiday divided by 20. 

Employees who qualify for public holiday entitlements can be full-time, part-time, permanent or on a limited-term contract. They can also be students. It does not matter how recently they were hired or how many days they worked before the public holiday. 

Employees not Eligible for Paid Public Holidays 

Some employees are not eligible for public holiday entitlements because public holiday provisions under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 do not apply to certain jobs. These employees include: 

• Professionals such as lawyers, doctors, teachers, architects, chiropodists, chiropractors, dentists, massage therapists, optometrists, pharmacists, professional engineers, physiotherapists, psychologists, public accountants, surveyors, veterinarians and those covered under the Drugless Practitioners Act 
• Students in training for any of the professions listed above 
• Students who instruct or supervise children or who work at a children’s camp or recreational program operated by a charitable organization 

Employer Manual 2021-2022 (PDF, 417.6 kB)

Download the Student Manual 2021-2022 (PDF, 335 kB) which contains student guidelines and procedures for starting and succeeding in a Work Study position.