UniWorkforce

UniWorkforce is here to enable you to engage casual workers promptly and legally.

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’ right to work in the UK by checking and retaining copies of certain documents, and by undertaking regular re-checks if an individual’s right to work in the UK is time-limited. This requirement applies to all workers, irrespective of their nationality.

Casual workers must be registered with UniWorkforce before they start any work to ensure that appropriate right to work checks are conducted, and that any visa restrictions are adhered to. Once registered, all casual workers are issued with a Casual Worker Permit which shows you - as their manager - that these checks have been conducted.

As a manager, it is your responsibility to:

• Ensure that all casual work assignments are raised online and gain financial approval, prior to any work being undertaken.
• Provide the worker with the Casual Worker Request ID number.
• Ensure that any casual workers you engage have a current Casual Worker Permit.
• Ensure that work complies with any visa restrictions on the Casual Worker Permit.
• Ensure that timesheets are checked and authorised before sending to payroll.

The University’s policy is No Casual Worker Permit, No Work, No Pay.

The University does not use casual workers who have a Visa and Certificate of Sponsorship with another University or employer.  Please speak to UniWorkforce before considering engaging someone who has not got a certificate of sponsorship from the University. 

It is important to note that ALL students and Tier 4 (General) migrants on courses at degree level or above must NOT work for more than 20 hours per week in term time, except in the case of an agreed work placement which forms part of the course.  Students on a Tier 4 visa will have their specific restrictions detailed on their casual worker permit and as the line manager it is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of these restrictions.

Tier 4 Breach Guidelines

 

How to raise a casual worker request

Go to jobs.soton.ac.uk and log in with your normal University username and password.

If you don't have access, please ask your manager to submit a request here.  Further information can be found on e-Recruit/Stonefish 

Select 'Online Staff Request Form', create new request and select 'Casual Worker Request'.

As part of raising your request you will be given three options for selecting an appropriate worker:

Option One - "UniWorkforce to source a suitable candidate": Select this option if you would like help finding someone to work the assignment. UniWorkforce will source suitable candidates and send you details for shortlisting and appointment. UniWorkforce will ensure your preferred candidate has the correct right to work checks in place before they start work, including issuing a Casual Worker Permit.

Option Two - "I know the candidate(s) I want to use": Select this option if you know who you want to undertake the work. You will be prompted to enter the worker's name, Casual Worker Permit number (if they have one) and email address. Remember you must not offer work, and the individual may not start work, until you have seen a valid Casual Worker Permit.

Option Three - ''I want to source the candidate(s)''. Select this option if you're not sure who you want but will be sourcing them yourself.  Often used for new demonstrators or open day events.  When you have sourced your candidates email UniWorkforce@soton.ac.uk and provide the names, email addresses and casual worker permit number (if they have one) along with the casual worker request ID number.  This will enable UniWorkforce to finalise the request and ensure your casual workers are set up appropriately for payment.

Casual workers that need to register - If the worker does not have a valid Casual Worker Permit, ask them to visit UniWorkforce with the Casual Worker Request ID number.  UniWorkforce will then conduct the necessary right to work checks and confirm to you and the worker, when the checks are complete and the work can commence the assignment. 

Raise a casual worker request video guide

There are two ways of getting work with UniWorkforce:

• You can join our mailing list and we will contact you about suitable work, or
• You may be offered work directly by University staff.

Regardless of how work is offered to you, you cannot start work until:

• You have completed a Register with UniWorkforce form; and
• You have had a right to work check completed by UniWorkforce; and
• You have been issued a Casual Worker Permit to demonstrate to your manager that all checks are in place for you to start work.

If you have not completed a Register with UniWorkforce form, had your right to work checked and been issued a Casual Worker Permit you CANNOT start work. Any work undertaken before these checks are in place will be classed as volunteering; you will not be paid for volunteering.

The University’s policy is No Casual Worker Permit, No Work, No Pay.

Join our mailing list

If you are looking for casual work, the UniWorkforce team source workers for a wide variety of assignments within the University, roles are across all campuses and Halls of Residence locations.

We have two mailing lists that you can join depending on the type of work you are looking for and your employment history:

Operational - Typically cleaning, catering jobs around the campuses, general assistant in halls, gardening positions and customer service roles.

Professional - Primarily administrative work, spanning the range of PA, secretarial, Faculty Admin Officers and Assistants.  

Occasional specialist roles, eg IT or Research Assistance, will be sent to both mailing lists.

If you would like to be considered for one or both of our mailing lists, please email UniWorkforce@soton.ac.uk indicating you want to join the mailing list.  We will then reply with further information on what is required and a form requesting your referee details.

Register with UniWorkforce form and Right to Work Checks

Once you have been offered work on campus your hiring manager must provide you with a casual worker request ID number.  You will need this to register with UniWorkforce. Complete the registration form here and return it, in person, to UniWorkforce reception before you start work. You must also bring your original right to work documentation, normally passport, visa (if you require one) so that we can check your right to work.

If you cannot visit UniWorkforce in person, your hiring manager may be able to complete the checks for you.  Alternatively please contact us as we are able to check your right to work via a Skype video call so long as you have sent us your original documentation in advance. If you require this service, please let us know at uniworkforce@soton.ac.uk.  Remember you cannot work before the right to work check has been completed.

The information you've provided will be entered onto the University secure HR database for payroll purposes. The information provided will never be shared with any other member of staff at the University or with a third party without your permission to do so. 

Casual Worker Permit

Once you have successfully registered you will be provided a Casual Worker Permit. This lets a prospective hiring manager know that you are allowed to work, and that appropriate Right to Work checks have been completed.

The Casual Worker Permit will include start and end dates based on the information you have provided.  If you are an overseas student or worker the casual worker permit will summarise any visa restrictions.

While your Casual Work Permit is valid no further Right to Work checks are required.

How to get paid

Complete the Payroll New Starter Checklist and submit to payroll.  Without this your pay will not be able to be credited to your bank account.

Fill out a timesheet which can be accessed via the Documents tab.  Once completed forward by email to your hiring manager/supervisor for authorisation.  If you work in more than one job you will need to complete a timesheet for each job.

If you hold a visa you must enter all the hours you have worked, both paid and unpaid, for whole time period you are claiming for.  If you work in more than one job you must fill out a separate timesheet for each and declare the hours you have worked in your other job(s).

It is essential that you complete and submit your timesheet(s) for authorisation each month that you work, so that we can pay you the correct amount.  All casual workers are paid monthly in arrears by submitting a timesheet to you for authorisation. Breaks are unpaid, so you should ensure that claimed hours reflect this.

Please note: Payment for work is made at the end of the month following the claim period (i.e.) work carried out in the claim period 2nd to 29th October will be paid at the end of November. Please refer to the timesheet submission dates for more details, in the documents tab.

The cut off for timesheets to be paid is three months following the work being carried out. If you submit a timesheet after this time you will not get paid. 

UK Visa and Immigration compliance - To demonstrate compliance with visa restrictions, any casual worker on a Tier 2, 4 or 5 visa is required to declare any hours you have worked on other assignments or for other employers, whether paid or unpaid.  If you have not worked elsewhere you must declare 0 hours. The timesheet will give you a warning if you have not filled it out correctly.  Only correct timesheets should be sent to your line manager for authorisation.  If you require assistance filling out the timesheet please speak to UniWorkforce.

Expenses

Any purchases that you require to make in the course of your role 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), these should be added 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.  Please note: Casual workers cannot claim expenses through the Agresso on-line system and paper claims will not be accepted.  Claims should also be made within 1 month of the expense being incurred.

UniWorkforce terms of engagement

Terms of engagement apply to all casual workers and you will be asked to sign these when you register with UniWorkforce.  A copy of the terms of engagement is available from the Documents tab.

Under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, 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 regular re-checks if an individual’s right to work in the UK is time-limited. This requirement applies to all workers, irrespective of their nationality.

You cannot work for us until you have provided documents which prove your right to work in the UK, and have been issued a Casual Worker Permit.

What documents do I need to provide?

British citizens, EU and EEA citizens and settled workers

Settled workers are those who have Indefinite Leave to Remain (a visa with no end date) or for other reasons do not have restrictions on their stay in the UK.

If you are not subject to immigration control, or have no restrictions on your stay in the UK, you should be able to produce a document, or a specified combination of documents, that evidence that the requirements of the Act are met for the duration of your employment. The most convenient way of satisfying the requirements of the Act is to bring a valid passport (if you are a member of an EU/EEA member state).

Please note that if you have an endorsement to show that you are exempt from immigration control, this must be in a current passport. We are unable to accept endorsements in expired passports. For details of how to transfer your endorsement to a new passport, please visit https://www.gov.uk/transfer-visa.

If you have a time-limited visa

If your leave to enter or remain in the UK is time-limited, you must provide the document or documents specified by the Home Office. It will be necessary for the University to conduct follow up checks before your permission to work in the UK expires.

In the event that you are unable to produce document(s) which satisfy the requirements by your first day of employment, then it will be necessary to ask you to leave work and/or to delay your start date.  If you continue to fail to meet the requirements, you cannot work for the University.

A Current Visa in an Expired Passport

If your current visa is in an expired passport and you have subsequently renewed your passport, although you are entitled to remain in the UK legally under the conditions attached to your visa, you may face difficulty in obtaining employment or continuing to work if you already have employment.  This is because your employer is under a duty to the Home Office to check that you have the right to work.  We are bound by the Employers' Guide to Right To Work Checks which states that you must be able to present "A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is allowed to stay in the UK and is currently allowed to do the type of work in question". If you cannot show this because your visa is in an expired passport then we cannot employ you and you should not work.

The Solution

You can make an application to the Home Office to have your visa issued as a separate biometric residence permit (BRP) so that you meet the requirement in the employers' guidance.  The application you need to make to transfer your old visa into your new passport depends on the type of visa you currently have, for further information visit https://www.gov.uk/transfer-visa.  Please note this transfer of visa into a new passport or document is required to demonstrate your right to work and not to travel outside of the UK.

Limited Leave to Remain

If you have a temporary visa (limited leave to remain), such as a Tier 4 visa, and the visa vignette (sticker) is in your expired passport, you must make an application to transfer your information to a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). The Home Office will effectively issue you the same visa but on a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which will then ensure that your current visa is endorsed on a current document. 

Indefinite Leave to Remain

If you have indefinite leave to remain, and the visa vignette (sticker) is in your expired passport, you must make an application to transfer your information to a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).  The Home Office will effectively issue you the same visa but on a Biometrics Residence Permit (BRP), which will then ensure that your current visa is endorsed on a current document.

We will not be able to hire you until you receive your new Biometrics Residence Permit Card.

Can I work once I have made an application?

Once you have submitted your application to transfer your information to a Biometrics Residence Permit we, as your employer can contact the Home Office to verify that the application is in progress.  This then covers the employer and allows us to employ you.

What the University will check for

You must bring original documents, in person. The Act requires the University to check the validity of the document(s) and satisfy itself that you are the person named in the documents presented, and that the document(s) allow you to do the work in question.

This includes:

• Checking that any photographs contained in the documentation are consistent with your appearance; and
• Checking the consistency of dates of birth across documents; and
• Checking that the expiry dates of any limited leave to enter or remain in the UK have not passed.

If you present documents which have different names, you will be asked for a further document (e.g. a marriage certificate, divorce decree, deed poll document or statutory declaration) to explain the reason for this.

The Act also requires the University to make a copy of the relevant page(s) of the document(s) and to retain a copy for the duration of your employment, and for a further two years after your employment has ceased.

When to provide your documents?

You must bring your documents before your start date.

The University must receive evidence of your right to work in the UK before you start work.  If you have not presented your documents by your first day, you will be asked to leave work until you can present the necessary documents. 

Visa limitations

If you hold a visa issued by the UK Visa and Immigration Service there may be limitations on the type or amount of work you can do.

Tier 4

Students must ensure they are aware of their own visa restrictions - See the Student Services page student services/visa-and-immigration/faqs, before undertaking any work for the University of Southampton or any other employer.  As a casual worker you will be required to sign a Tier 4 declaration confirming you are aware of your responsibilities under your Tier 4 visa.

Tier 4 student visa holders may have limited right to work in the UK during term time.  To check the term times applicable to you please click here

Please note the University of Southampton does not engage students who have a Tier 4 visa from another University.

Tier 2

In order to work for an employer in the UK, graduates have the option of applying for work after their studies. However, you will need to do this through Tier 2, and you will need a job offer at graduate level from a recognised sponsor listed on the Register of Sponsors.

• You can find the Tier 2 Register of sponsors - employers on the UKVI website. 
• There is a minimum salary required but it will need to be higher for some jobs. Remember to check that the job you are being offered is at the right level.
• The Tier 2 shortage occupation list on the UKVI website lists all of the UK-wide shortage occupations for Tier 2 of the points-based system, and also gives the minimum salary requirements.
• Look at the Codes of practice for skilled work (Tier 2) on the UKVI website which gives the skill level and appropriate salary rate for jobs (including PhD level) covered by the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes.
• Employers who are registered as sponsors need to issue you a certificate of sponsorship (COS) once your degree has been awarded.
• Once an employer has issued the COS you can then apply for a Tier 2 visa which will be valid for three years, and you will be able to renew it for a further two years.

Prospective applicants for points-based immigration routes should assess their circumstances against the criteria given in the relevant policy guidance at GOV.UK Visas and Immigration. UK NARIC provides advice and guidance on international qualifications.

Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange (GAE)

You should investigate the Tier 5 (GAE) visa if you would like to take up an internship or temporary work experience opportunity in the UK to gain valuable skills before returning home.

An employer does not sponsor you directly - you will be sponsored by an 'overarching body' or organisation, and they will issue you with a Certificate of Sponsorship

• There are several different overarching bodies and schemes available so you should explore these to find out which one is most suitable for you. View the list of Approved Tier 5 GAE schemes.
• There is usually a charge for sponsorship and this cost would have to be paid by you or the employer.
• If you are applying from the UK you will need to have already been awarded your degree.
• You can apply from the UK to switch from a Tier 4 student visa to a Tier 5 (GAE) visa if the job is directly related to your degree and the job fulfils all the requirements of the scheme.
• The visa is issued for a maximum of 12 months, and it cannot be extended.
• You cannot do an unpaid placement, and you must be paid at the national minimum wage (NMW) or above.
• The job must be a temporary, supernumerary (not a vacant job) skilled role.
• Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur), find out how you can remain in the UK under the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) category of the points-based system.

Register with UniWorkforce (registration form) - on-line version or printable version

Payroll New starter checklist (form updated 19 May 2020) (must be completed and submitted to enable payment)

UniWorkforce Hourly Timesheet (standard version) for the majority of UniWorkforce pay claims

UniWorkforce Hourly Timesheet (extended version) for claims that include more than one type of work for the same hiring manager in the same claim period. (In all other cases, please use the standard UniWorkforce timesheet above).

UniWorkforce Fixed Fee Timesheet for claims being paid on a 'sessional' or 'per item' basis, such as consultancy, lecturing, marking or research claims.  Not to be used for any claims being paid on an hourly basis. (For all other work please use the Hourly Timesheet above).

Timesheet Submission Dates 2020-21 (updated 18 February 2020)

CASUAL WORKER REQUEST VIDEO GUIDES

To assist you with completing the new Casual Worker Request OSRF form, we have provided three short video guides outlining the basic requirements;

Video 1 – demonstrates where and how to access the casual worker request form

Video 2 – demonstrates how to request a single casual worker for a single assignment

Video 3 – demonstrates how to request multiple casual workers for a single assignment (i.e. multiple workers carrying out the same work)