UniWorkforce administer casual work assignments for the University of Southampton, ensuring workers have the right to work in the UK, are set up for payment through the payroll and are paid equitably.
UniWorkforce administer casual work assignments for the University of Southampton, ensuring workers have the right to work in the UK, are set up for payment through the payroll and are paid equitably.
Casual work assignments can be either:
Casual work assignments are processed by UniWorkforce and agreed in the terms of engagement for each authorised assignment.
Assignments for longer than 12 weeks need to go through the University’s standard staff recruitment process. Requests to extend an existing assignment beyond 12 weeks will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, this is due to assignments lasting longer than 12 weeks triggering additional rights for the worker including equal pay and automatic pension enrolment.
It is a criminal offence to engage a worker who does not have the right to work in the UK. The law requires us to verify all workers have the right to work by checking and retaining copies of certain documents. The right to work check must take place before work starts. This requirement applies to all workers, irrespective of their nationality. A follow-up check will be required if an individual’s right to work in the UK is time-limited and the work is continuing.
Casual workers must be registered with UniWorkforce and their worker status will be set in eRecruit (initially this will be red until a right to work check has taken place) showing the worker and manager if they are ready to work and any visa restrictions which apply.
See Manager information - Home (sharepoint.com)
Email: uniworkforce@soton.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 238059 3031 (ex: 23031)
Signing up for casual work does not mean you are ready to work yet.
Signing up and registering gives you access to the University’s eRecruit system and once you've joined a mailing pool, allows UniWorkforce to send you assignments that you have been named on or that you may wish to apply for.
Only after accepting an assignment offered to you via email, and having your right to work checked, can you undertake work.
1. Create an eRecruit account
Before we can offer you any work and set you up on the payroll, you will need to register for an account on eRecruit, the University’s jobs website. This allows you to search, view and apply for vacancies at the University of Southampton.
2. Register with UniWorkforce
UniWorkforce is the team that manages casual workers across the University.
Once registered on eRecruit, log onto your account and select the 'Casual Work' link in the blue menu bar at the top of the window.
Click on 'Register with UniWorkforce' and follow the steps to join.
Registering does not mean you are ready to work, it just sets up your UniWorkforce account in eRecruit.
3. Right to work in the UK check
When you undertake paid work in the UK, by law, you need to have a check to verify your right to work and to check your identity against the photo on your passport or other documentation.
It's unlawful for you to work before a right work check has been completed. If you do any work before this check is done you will not be paid for this work.
To organise your right to work check, see Right to Work Checks.
UniWorkforce offers temporary short-term and ad hoc assignments in a variety of roles, across diverse departments and faculties. Assignments provide flexibility depending on what you are looking for, and can open the door to more permanent roles at the University.
If you are studying with us, register with UniWorkforce to receive information on student-friendly jobs. Enjoy some financial freedom and independence, all while gaining valuable work experience, to help you kick start your career after graduation.
If you are a PGR student and will be teaching, take a look at our information pages PGR Student Teaching & Demonstrating with UniWorkforce - Home (sharepoint.com).
Registering for UniWorkforce pools does not mean you are ready to work. Two things need to happen first: you need to have done a right to work in the UK check and you must have accepted the offered assignment by completing a short online form via a link emailed to you, which provides details for your payroll record.
To organise a right to work check, once you have an assignment offer, see UniWorkforce - Right to Work
For instructions on how to view your casual worker status, please see Guidance - Accessing your information in eRecruit
You will be paid the rate set for each assignment, which is based on the type of work and skills required. Pay is aligned to the University’s pay scales to ensure equity across the workforce. Payment is a month in arrears.
Bank details and NI number
You will receive a confirmation email with all the information about your assignment from UniWorkforce using the Serviceline system. This will include a payroll checklist which you need to complete (include your pay reference number) and email directly to the Payroll address detailed on the form.
Without this it will not be possible to transfer you pay into your bank account. Do not send this form until you have your employee number/pay reference number, as Payroll will not be able to process this until your record has been set up and pay reference number created.
If you have any queries on pay and deductions, please email casualpay@soton.ac.uk, including your pay reference number.
If you don’t have a National Insurance (NI) number, you can apply for one online. Details are on GOV.UK: Apply for a National Insurance number - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Fill out a timesheet each month you work, this can be accessed via the Documents area. PGR Student Teaching and Demonstrating have your own timesheet found here: How to claim the hours you have worked (sharepoint.com).
Follow the instructions on the timesheet and remember to save it with your with your pay reference number (casual worker permit number), last name, and claim period (eg 2345678 – Smith - Jan.xlsx). Once complete, forward by email to your hiring manager/supervisor for authorisation. If you work on more than one assignment you will need to complete a separate timesheet for each one.
If you hold a visa, you must enter all the hours you have worked, both paid and unpaid, for the University and other employers, for the whole period you are claiming.
It is essential that you complete and submit your timesheet(s) for authorisation each month you work, so that we can pay you correctly and on time. Breaks are unpaid, so you should ensure that your claimed hours reflect this.
Please take note of the timesheet submission dates published on the Documents area. Timesheets received after the submission date will be processed in the following month.
Any purchases that you are required to make during your assignment should be requested through the Purchasing team (buy@soton.ac.uk). If, for any reason, you need to incur personal expenses (agreed by your line manager in advance), add details to your timesheet on the “Expenses” tab along with receipts.
Purchases that are made outside the University’s policy will not be reimbursed. If you are claiming for expenses through a research grant this must be accompanied by original receipts.
Subject to the steps above, payment is made at the end of the month following the claim period. For example, work carried out in October will be paid at the end of November. Please refer to the timesheet submission dates for more details, in the Documents tab. You will not receive payment for any work carried out prior to your right to work check. All claims must be submitted within three months of the work being undertaken.
If you meet the criteria for auto enrolment you will be enrolled in NEST. Further details are available Nest Casual Worker Information.
Terms of engagement apply to all casual workers and you will be asked to agree these when you register with UniWorkforce. A copy is available in the Documents tab.
If you are a visa holder, there may be limitations on the type of work and/or weekly hours you can undertake. Specific restrictions are detailed on your visa and will show on your casual worker status in eRecruit. You and your line manager are responsible for ensuring you do not breach your visa restrictions, as this may invalidate your visa and the Home Office could require you to leave the country.
Any breach by students will be reported to Student Services following the Tier 4 / Student Visa Breach Guidelines.
Under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act, the University can only engage workers who are legally permitted to work in the UK. The law requires us to verify all workers’ right to work in the UK by checking and retaining copies of certain documents, and by undertaking re-checks if an individual’s right to work in the UK is time-limited. This requirement applies to all workers, irrespective of nationality. Casual workers cannot work until they have provided documents which prove their right to work in the UK.
There are two types of right to work checks depending on your nationality. Details are below with links for booking a check.
In-person check:
You can visit Highfield Campus, Building 26, with your original documents. Click on the link University of Southampton Identity Verification to book an in-person check.
Online check:
If you would prefer to do a check remotely using an in-date passport or Irish passport card, use this link https://forms.office.com/r/UUF5YCyEUq to provide us your details in Option 2. We will email you a secure link for you to verify your documents; once complete we will confirm your identity via a Teams video call.
You will need to use this option if you hold any of the following:
You will need to prove your right to work using the Home Office online right to work check service, available via Prove your right to work to an employer - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Contact the gov.uk email if you have any problems obtaining your share code.
If you are unable to use the Home Office online check system, please advise UniWorkforce by emailing uniworkforce@soton.ac.uk as soon as possible.
Online check
Click on the link https://forms.office.com/r/A7kg5hXJ1Y to provide details required to book a Teams Video call as part of this online check. Remember to include the share code you are provided from the Home Office service, this will start with ‘W’ for ‘Work’.
When UniWorkforce receive your details, you will be asked to send a scan of your passport to verify your date of birth and nationality before the Teams Video call. This may take up to 5 days.
In person check
If you would prefer to do an in person check, you can make an appointment to visit Highfield Campus, Building 26. Remember to bring your passport and the share code you are provided from the Home Office service, this will start with ‘W’ for ‘Work’.
Click on the link University of Southampton Identity Verification to book an in-person check.
To assist managers with completing the Casual Worker Request OSRF form, we have provided two short video guides:
Video 1 – demonstrates how to access the casual worker request form (OSRF)
Video 2 – demonstrates how to complete the casual work request form (OSRF)
To assist workers and managers with timesheets and expense forms, we have provided four video guides which can be accessed here:
Please note there is an earlier timesheet submission deadline of Friday 1st December for payments to be made in December, this is due to the Christmas closure period. Any timesheets received after this date will be paid in January.
Please ensure all timesheets are accurately completed and submitted by email directly to your line manager for authorisation. If you need any assistance written instructions can be found on the first tab of your timesheet, alternatively you can watch the video below.
Time sheet completion video guide Timesheet and Expenses video guide
Timesheet Submission Dates 2023-2024
UniWorkforce Terms of Engagement
Please familiarise yourself with the policies below: