Extended Workforce - Frequently Asked Questions
I want to recruit someone for a brief piece of work. How should I engage them?
Last updated: Wed Mar 20 8:29
There are a number of options for you to consider here, for example, casual worker or variable hours contracts. Other types of contract may be more suitable but as a starting point, you should consider whether the below scenarios apply.
Casual workers are not employees and perform ad hoc work which is insufficient to justify an employment contract.
Variable hours contracts are contracts of employment where the pattern of work is variable but there is a predicted number of hours which will be worked over a set period. E.g. 40 hours per session.
Full information is available in the University's Extended Workforce Policy and associated Procedural Guidance.
I am a casual worker/variable hours worker and have not been paid. What should I do?
Last updated: Tue Mar 19 9:21
Casual workers are paid on the basis of hours worked and subject to online* timesheets being fully completed, submitted and authorised by the relevant Payroll Timesheet Deadline.
Please check with your local administrator to ensure approval of the timesheet was made within the correct deadline. Please also ensure that you are fully registered on the HR Payroll System, including having input your bank details, as any delays in registering will delay payments.
Further information including Troubleshooting Guide is available online.
Variable hours employees are often paid on the same basis as casual workers, unless a regular salaried payment arrangement has been agreed. In which case, please ensure that your contract of employment has been signed and returned and that you have updated your personal details, including bank details, in line with correspondence from the onboarding team. You would also have to have updated all of your personal details and started work before the relevant Payroll Deadline.
*The majority of individuals who submit timesheets do so online however some areas have retained paper timesheets. In such cases, you should liaise with your local administrator for local arrangements on authorisation.
What information do I require to engage a casual worker/variable hours employee?
Last updated: Tue Mar 19 9:26
For casual workers, engagers will require Right to Work documentation which should be verified locally by a trained employee, casual worker template (Generic Job Descriptions are available for certain roles), and People & OD approval – see Procedure Guideline for full information.
Variable hours contracts follow normal recruitment processes (unless for Bulk Recruitment) and as such a Staff Request should be raised and a Job Description should be uploaded, along with the candidate’s CV and 2 references.
How does a casual worker or variable hours employee accrue annual leave?
Last updated: Tue Mar 19 9:25
Casual workers are entitled to an additional payment in lieu of statutory holiday entitlement which is paid automatically and is shown separately on payslips. The entitlement is calculated based on actual hours worked and is pro-rated on the basis of the full-time statutory entitlement of 28 days per year (inclusive of public holiday entitlement). The payment is calculated as 12.0319% of the individual’s normal hourly rate.
Typically, Variable hours employees accrue a pro-rated entitlement of contractual annual leave, based on actual hours worked. Holidays will typically be scheduled, and therefore paid, on a quarterly basis, by agreement between the employee and their line manager. There are some limited exceptions to this, including for example GTAs. For other variable hours posts, you can check what is applicable through raising a query via UofG Helpdesk. An Annual Leave Calculator for Hourly Paid Staff has been made available for use by Timesheet Administrators who will be based in your School Finance office.
What is a casual worker?
Last updated: Wed Mar 20 8:28
Casual workers can be engaged to carry out ad hoc work over a period of time. This means work which is not regular, frequent or substantial. For example, work under 3 hours per week for a short period of time would be offered on a casual basis, or similarly a one-off piece of work, for 28 hours, which is unlikely to be repeated, may be offered on a casual basis.
The University is not under any obligation to offer a set amount of work within a certain period of time and nor is the casual worker obliged to accept any work offered. This is because casual workers are not legally defined as employees and as such are not employed by the University or hold an employment contract. Advice must always be sought from College/US People & OD prior to offering any role on a casual worker rather than employment basis.
Where do I find examples of job descriptions for casual roles?
Last updated: Tue Mar 19 9:23
Generic job descriptions for certain casual roles are accessible from the Extended Workforce Policy Toolkit. Where a generic job description does not exist, you will need to complete the casual worker duties template and have this reviewed and graded by your local People & OD team.
What hourly rate is applicable to my/my casual worker’s role?
Last updated: Tue Mar 19 9:20
Payment for hours worked is determined by the nature of the work undertaken for which an appropriate hourly rate is paid. The hourly rate is calculated in line with the University’s pay and grading structure and should be based on the grade determined from the job description/duties template.
What is the process for engaging a casual worker or variable hours employee?
Last updated: Tue Mar 19 9:26
There are a number of steps required for engagement of a casual worker and these vary depending on whether there is a Generic Job Description available or whether a Casual Worker Duties template is required.
Once the engagement has been approved by People & OD and the worker identified they should be put in contact with the relevant local administrator in order that the registration process can commence.
Full details can be obtained in the Procedural Guideline. Note that all casual workers should be issued with an Engagement Letter which is issued locally, with a view to providing as much clarity as possible regarding the work arrangements and likely volume of work to be offered.
Casual workers must also log into the HR Payroll System to complete their registration, including updating their bank details etc. Payment cannot be made, or backdated, for any casual workers who have not fully registered or who’s registration documents have not been fully uploaded.
Variable hours contracts follow normal recruitment processes (unless for Bulk Recruitment) and as such a Staff Request should be raised and a Job Description should be uploaded, along with the candidate’s CV and 2 references.
What is a variable hours employee?
Last updated: Tue Mar 19 9:27
Variable hours employees are employed by the University under a contract of employment to carry out work which may be ad hoc in nature but where the requirement for an amount of work is known and substantial enough to justify a contract. For example, variable hours employees may carry out 40 hours work per session but the pattern of this work may be variable from week to week, including some brief periods where work may not be required at all. You should be aware that work can exceed the stated hours in the contract but should not be less than the stated hours.
How do I resign from my role as a casual worker?
Last updated: Mon Mar 25 8:44
There is no need for casual workers to formally resign from the University. Your engagement will automatically terminate once the available work has ceased or after any period of six months where no work is undertaken. Alternatively, you can choose to notify your local administrator that you no longer wish to be offered work and your record will be ended.
How do casual workers/variable hours employees get paid?
Last updated: Tue Mar 19 9:25
Casual workers and variable hours employees are usually paid via timesheets submitted via the HR Payroll System.* Payment is made the month following completion of the work and approval of the hours, subject to applicable payroll cut-off dates.
Given that variable hours employees hold no fixed working pattern, the expectation is that the majority of these employees will be paid on a timesheet basis but that the contractual commitment to the employee would be for a set number of hours over an agreed period of time.
Further information, including payments for activities such as preparation, development, and marking, is also available in the Extended Workforce Procedural Guidance.
*The majority of individuals who submit timesheets do so online however some areas have retained paper timesheets. In such cases, you should liaise with your local administrator for local arrangements on authorisation.