Policies and Procedures

• First-year and incoming transfer students who have student employment awarded as part of their financial aid package and have completed the Student Employment Interest Form.
• Non-aid first-year and incoming transfer students who have completed the Student Employment Interest Form.
• Returning students who have been requested by a student supervisor.
  • Returning students who have not been requested by a student supervisor will not receive a work assignment from Student Employment. You may apply for positions through the Student Job Postings site.

Student employment positions are assigned to NEW students before they get to campus. Position assignments are optional, and new students can choose to apply for a position on their own through the Student Job Postings site. The Student Employment Interest Form is sent out to all NEW incoming students in early June to complete if they would like to be assigned a campus position. The deadline to complete the form is July 1. Priority will be given to students who have work study as part of their financial aid package. Generally, there are more students wanting to work than there are open positions. If a student is awarded work as part of a financial aid package, the student has the opportunity to earn up to the awarded amount. Because of factors such as class schedule and the number of open positions, a student might not be able to earn the full amount by the end of the academic year.

Student work assignments are emailed to all new students by late-August.

Students who do not want to be assigned a position can view and apply for open positions on the Student Job Postings site at any time.

If a student does not accept their position assignment, they must contact Student Employment (studentemployment@carleton.edu). By refusing their job assignment, they will take full responsibility for finding campus employment. Students can find and apply for campus employment through the Student Job Postings site.

Students are limited to an average of 9-10 hours/wk for upper classes and 7-8 hours/wk for freshmen, depending on their financial aid package. Reach out to Student Employment to confirm your total hours for the academic year (not inclusive of break work hours). Students can also view their hours remaining in Net Partner.

Most students going on an Off-Campus Studies program have the option to work up to 15 hours per week in the two terms they are on campus (within the same academic year) to make up lost earnings, depending on their financial aid package. In some cases, like Resident Assistants (RAs), this is not possible. Students must communicate with Student Employment to determine if they are eligible to work 15 hours. 

In some cases, students can work more hours during a term as long as they reduce their hours in future terms. This arrangement MUST be communicated to and approved by Student Employment at the beginning of the year or the term in which it is happening. This needs to happen so that hours in the current or future terms can be adjusted to prevent students from working more than their awarded amount.

Students are NOT allowed to work more than 15 hours/week during the term. 

Supervisors are required to monitor their student employees so they are not working over their scheduled hours without the proper approvals from Student Employment. 

In the event the student continues to work more hours than is approved, the student’s position will be ended regardless of when it happens, when the maximum total hours are reached.

Students are limited to an average of 40 hours/week during school break (Winter, Spring, Summer). Students are NOT allowed to work more than 40 hours/week during the break. 

Students are allowed one 15-minute paid break for every consecutive four-hour shift. Meal periods are different than paid rest periods. If a meal break occurs during a student’s shift, you may take the break with the supervisor’s permission, but you will not be paid for that period of time.

The College requires those working more than six hours each day to take an unpaid meal period. Unpaid meal periods are typically one hour in length, but may not be less than one-half hour. Students must record the start and end time of their meal period on their time sheets.

Students can view their campus position in Workday by going to their Worker profile.

Carleton complies with federal and state OSHA regulations. Supervisors and student employees are expected to comply with all safety laws, rules and regulations. Students should immediately report any unsafe working conditions, equipment or practices to your supervisor. You must wear any and all required protective gear while on the job. Fire protection and prevention practices must be complied with at all times.

All on-the-job accidents or injuries, no matter how small, MUST be reported to your supervisor and to Human Resources within 24 hours of their occurrence. Report the injury to Human Resources using the Student / Student Employee Illness / Injury Report

The 2026-27 academic break work dates are as follows:
Summer Break 2026: Tuesday, June 9 – Sunday, September 13
Winter Break 2026: Tuesday, November 24 – Sunday, January 3
Spring Break 2027: Tuesday, March 16 – Sunday, March 28

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. To request a workplace accommodation, please contact the Office of Accessibility Resources at 507-222-4464 or OAR@carleton.edu. 

Effective January 1, 2024, Minnesota’s new Earned Sick and Safe Time law (ESST) requires all employers to offer paid sick time to employees (including student employees) who work at least 80 hours per year. For more information, please visit the Earned Sick and Safe Time FAQ.

Federal I-9 Forms

With the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, every employer in the United States must check the legal status of all employees, including student employees, hired to work after November 6, 1986, or face the threat of criminal penalties.

You will complete the I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification form, as part of your onboarding tasks in Workday. Once the I-9 step is completed in Workday, you will need to present your original documents (no copies or pictures) in person to Human Resources to verify your eligibility for employment BEFORE you can begin training or working.  Human Resources is located in the Class of 1974 Center, Lower Level Room 015, on the corner of 1st and Union Street. A list of acceptable forms of identification can be found on page three of the I-9 form. Please note that if you do not choose to use documentation under List A you will need to provide a form of documentation from both List B and List C. 

W-4

All employees are required by the Internal Revenue Service to complete both a Federal and Minnesota W-4 form. The W-4 forms will be completed as part of your onboarding tasks in Workday.

Visit the Human Resources webpage for full information on the I-9 and W-4 Forms. Questions can be sent to hr@carleton.edu.

You must earn a certain dollar amount before tax withholding will take effect. This threshold is figured for each individual pay period, and is not based on cumulative earnings throughout the year. 

Unlike wages earned during academic terms, wages earned during breaks are subject to both FICA and Medicare taxes, as well as federal and state withholdings

All student wages are taxable income, whether paid to you or credited to your tuition account, and will be reported on your W-2 Form at the end of each calendar year. This includes both federal and state taxes.

Consequences to You of Not Completing the W-4 Form

By law, anyone who has not completed a W-4 Form will be considered to have claimed zero (0) allowances and their earnings will be taxed accordingly.

International Students

There are specific federal income tax withholding laws in effect for students who are not U.S. Citizens. The Business Office uses an online tax compliance system called GLACIER, which facilitates the completion of form W-4. During New Student Orientation week, all international students are introduced to GLACIER and are given individual online access. If you have questions, please contact Shari Mayer (507) 222-4022.

Students are considered employees of the college and should follow the college’s process for filing a grievance. Refer to the college’s Grievance Procedures.

The Whistleblower Policy applies to student employees as well. 

If the College is closed for an official holiday, such as Juneteenth, the 4th of July, or Labor Day, students should not work or report time.  Students are not benefit eligible and do not receive holiday pay for the days the College is closed.  You’ll find a complete list of College Holidays on the Human Resources webpage. In rare circumstances, a student may be performing an essential service and scheduled to work, in which case they will receive their normal wage. Students may request to make up missed hours during the same work week by arrangement with their supervisor.

Likewise, if the college or department officially closes for any reason, including winter storms or other weather-related events, students do not receive pay for the work missed. Students are paid for hours worked.  However, a student may use accrued Earned Sick and Safe Time if available. Students may also have the opportunity to make up lost hours.  Arrangements must be made with their supervisor.

A leave of absence is a temporary interruption in a student’s program of study and refers to the specific time period when a student is not in attendance and pursuing academic work at the College. Students who have taken a leave are not eligible to work or live at the college until the term of enrollment as indicated in their readmission letter. Read more about the policy on the Dean of Students website.

Effective January 1, 2026, the new MN PFML program will provide employees, including student employees, with partial wage replacement and job protection for qualifying absences, including a serious health condition, caring for a family member, or other events. For more information, please visit the Carleton MN Paid Leave site. For questions, please contact hr@carleton.edu.

Students have a choice of having their work earnings electronically deposited into a U.S. checking or savings account or applying it to their tuition account. Since Carleton College does not issue paper paychecks, all students must have a domestic U.S. checking or savings account for direct deposit of payroll earnings.

Instructions can be found in Workday, under Payment Elections for Students.

Students may refuse part of their student employment award for any term or the entire academic year. If you decide to refuse part of your student employment award, contact Student Employment (studentemployment@carleton.edu) to inform us.

Whenever you refuse your student employment award, you will be forfeiting those earnings, and such a decision should be made in consultation with your parent(s) or guardian(s), as it may impact the amount of money that the family will need to pay toward the tuition bill.

Resident Assistants (RAs) are considered to have all their student employment hours fulfilled. Therefore, no additional campus employment may be worked outside of the RA position. RA’s are not eligible to make up hours due to participating in an off-campus program.

It is the responsibility of each student employee to:

• Complete the I-9 Form, all onboarding tasks in Workday, and in-person work eligibility verification with Human Resources before beginning your first job on campus.
  
• Record your work hours on your Workday time sheet at the end of each work shift. At the end of the pay period, make sure to Review and Submit your hours. You are not allowed to work beyond your authorized student employment award. Your assignment will end once you have earned your total amount.
  
• Your student employment award, earnings, amount remaining, and hours remaining can all be found in Net Partner. Link to Net Partner from your Workday menu-external links. From the Net Partner Menu, select Student Employment.
  
• Contact your supervisor before the first day of classes each term to arrange your work schedule. Entering first-year students should meet with their work supervisor(s) during the time set aside for that purpose during New Student Week.
  
• Report to the Student Employment all job changes that occur throughout the year, and complete the required online work transfer form before you begin working at your new job.
  
• Report to work as scheduled and on time.
  
• Contact your supervisor as early as possible, and according to your supervisor’s instructions, if you will be absent from work due to illness or conflicts.
  
• Ask your supervisor if you wish to revise your work schedule or take time off from work.
  
• Perform your job assignments to the best of your ability. Ask questions if you are uncertain about what to do or how a task should be done. Avoid socializing on the job, and use the telephone and computer for business purposes only. Be courteous to your supervisor and all co-workers.
  
• Dress appropriately. Consult with your supervisor as to the type of dress that is suitable for your particular position.
  
• Maintain the confidentiality of student and college records to which you have access as part of your campus job. In some cases, your supervisor may require you to sign a confidentiality statement. Any breach of this confidentiality agreement will result in immediate termination, which will become part of your permanent record in the Dean of Students Office.
  
• Discuss any work-related problems or questions you might have with your supervisor. If you and your supervisor cannot resolve the problem, contact Student Employment.

During terms in which you are enrolled on campus in the SAME academic year as your program, you may be eligible to work up to 15 hours per week to make up lost work earnings.  Contact studentemployment@carleton.edu if you would like to make up lost hours. Please note that Residential Assistants (RAs) are not eligible for this option.  

If it is not possible to earn close to the full amount awarded in student employment due to the length of time you will be participating in an off-campus program, you may submit a written request for a loan for the unearned amount.

The State of Minnesota defines sexual harassment as follows:

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually motivated physical contact, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

• Submission to that conduct or communication is made a term or condition, either explicitly or implicitly, of obtaining employment, education or

• Submission to or rejection of such conduct or communication by an individual is used as a factor in decisions affecting that individual’s employment (or) education;

That conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s employment or education, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive employment or educational environment, and in the case of employment, the employer knows or should know of the existence of the harassment and fails to take timely and appropriate action.

Refer to the College’s Policy Against Sexual Misconduct.

Once you have been hired to work in a department, you will record your time worked in Workday. Your supervisor must hire you in Workday before you can record your hours.

CAUTION: Record your hours worked under the correct position in Workday. Student Non-Employee is not a valid position for time entry. Students with multiple jobs will toggle between them to record time worked in each job. You are encouraged to use the Workday check-in/check-out option to record hours worked. You must submit your time entries biweekly, following the student payroll calendar. At the end of the pay period, review and submit your time entry. It will then go to your supervisor for review and approval.

If you did not submit your time entry on time, email payroll@carleton.edu to submit your hours.

Before you complete your work assignment for the academic year, your supervisor has the opportunity to complete a Student Employee Evaluation Form. Supervisors that complete an evaluation should review it with you. Some departments may have different procedures.

At the end of the performance review, the form should be signed by both you and your supervisor. Your signature does NOT indicate that you agree with your supervisor’s evaluation of your work. It merely indicates that you have had a chance to see and review the evaluation form. All of your Student Employee Evaluation Forms become part of your permanent file in the Dean of Students Office.

Student Rights Regarding Evaluation Forms

If you receive what you feel is an unfair performance review, you have the option of writing a letter explaining the situation from your perspective. Your letter should be sent to the Dean of Students Office with a written request that it become part of your file and be included with your supervisor’s evaluation whenever that information is shared with prospective employers.

If you are not showing up for work or are not completing your work satisfactorily, it is the right of your supervisor to terminate your employment.

Procedure for Terminating Student Employees

The following process represents a normal termination process. This is the minimum that is required for termination however, individual supervisors or departments might have a longer more involved process before termination occurs. If a student commits an egregious act such as stealing or falsifying a time sheet, termination happens immediately and does not have to go through the process outlined below.

1. Verbal warning and discussion of the problem: If your supervisor is not satisfied with your attendance record or job performance, they should discuss the matter with you, and detail exactly how they expect you to correct the problem(s).
2. Written warning: If the problem continues, your supervisor will issue you a written warning stating precisely what the unacceptable behavior or performance is, exactly what change is required on your part, and a date by which your behavior or performance must improve in order to prevent you from losing your job. A copy of each warning letter will become a part of your permanent file in the Dean of Students Office.
3. Termination: If your attendance or job performance still does not improve, the supervisor has a right to terminate your employment.

If you decide to transfer your job assignment, you will need to notify your current supervisor and submit a Work Transfer Form. Communicating with your supervisor is very important, so this transition can be managed for all parties. Departments MAY require a two-week notice before approving any transfer. However, there are times when a supervisor may not release you from your current assignment because your employment is crucial to the department, and it would put an undue burden on the supervisor, the department, or the remaining student employees.

Work Transfers

Transferring hours from one position to another is an online process that begins on the Student Work Transfer Request form. Both supervisors need to approve the transfer. The new supervisor must submit a hire request in Workday so that the student can be set up. Students will get an email notification when both supervisors have approved the change. Once the hire request has been processed, the student will see the updated work assignment by logging into Workday.

Your Carleton W2 and 1098T forms are available on Workday. Follow these instructions.

Student employment dollars must be earned through an on-campus position. You can designate 0-100 percent of your earnings to be applied directly to your student account.