Student Worker Handbook
THIS HANDBOOK INCLUDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT:
➢ Student Employment Policy
➢ Pay Checks
➢ Mandatory Trainings
➢ Professionalism in the Workplace
➢ Mother-Friendly Workplace
➢ Telephone Etiquette
➢ Campus Mail Guidelines
➢ MyBlinn Time Entry
CONTACT HUMAN RESOURCES at (979) 830-4008
If you have a question about time entry or your pay check
CONTACT FINANCIAL AID at 979-209-7478
If you have a question about student worker eligibility or award amount
Welcome to the Federal Work Study Program!
This is an excellent opportunity for you to earn money and
obtain job skills while attending Blinn College.
Please review this handbook and keep it for future reference.
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT POLICY
The entire Student Employment Policy is included at the back of this handbook.
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions:
➢ How many classes am I required to be enrolled in as a student worker?
Student workers must be enrolled at least half-time as a Blinn College student. Half-time status is one who is enrolled in and regularly attending classes with at least 6 credit hours per semester term.
Student workers wanting to work during Summer, must be enrolled in a cumulative minimum of 6 CR between May Minimester, Summer Session I and Summer Session II.
➢ How many hours am I allowed to work as a student worker?
Student workers are allowed to work a maximum of 19 hours per week when classes are in session.
➢ How much will I be paid per hour?
Minimum wage is regulated by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The current minimum wage rate is $7.25 per hour. Blinn College pays Student Workers $8 per hour.
➢ Will taxes be taken out of my Blinn paycheck?
Social Security and Medicare taxes are not deducted from student worker paychecks.
➢ Are there any job restrictions?
Student workers may not type, reproduce, collate, or grade tests. Student workers are not to perform personal tasks for any college personnel.
PAY CHECKS
➢ Pay day is the 15th and last day of every month.
➢ All checks are directly deposited to your bank account
Pay stubs can be accessed through MyBlinn, Banner Self-Service, Employee tab, Pay Information, Pay Stub
BE SURE TO COMPLETE
THE MANDATORY
ONLINE TRAINING
WITHIN 30 DAYS:
➢ Unlawful Harassment & Prevention for Higher Education Student Employees
➢ An email with a link to access the trainings will be sent from Safe Colleges to the email address you provided on your Data Form.
Professionalism in the Workplace
Be mindful of the importance of student worker positions. Consider this an opportunity to develop professionally, as well as gain useful knowledge, skills, and abilities to be used throughout your career. Your supervisor can potentially be relied upon as a great reference or for writing letters of recommendation.
Useful Workplace Tips:
Attendance:
Student worker jobs are real jobs. Take them seriously. Good attendance and punctuality are important and necessary to the success of the department. If you are habitually absent or tardy, you are not fulfilling the responsibilities for the job in which you were hired.
While academic studies are most important and the need to work around exams and projects is understood, attempt to provide your supervisor at least two days notice for any scheduled time off, if at all possible.
If you must be absent from work due to unforeseen circumstances, provide at least 30 minutes notice to your Supervisor, if possible.
Try to adhere to the work schedule you and your Supervisor have created and do not attempt to change your schedule, unless absolutely necessary and with prior Supervisor approval. Again, your department depends on your presence and your assistance during these times.
When you are no longer enrolled as a student, you become ineligible to work as a student worker. Notify your Supervisor of your current status and submit a two weeks notice of resignation to be placed in your personnel file for future reference and/or recommendations.
Dress
Student workers are expected to dress appropriately for the department and/or environment for which you are assigned and follow generally accepted community standards of neatness, cleanliness, modesty and good taste. Ask your supervisor if your assigned work area has any specific guidelines concerning dress code. If you are unsure of a particular style of dress or fashion trend, you are advised to check with your supervisor for guidance and/or feedback. Remember you are not only representing the department, but also the College.
Supervisors of student workers are responsible for determining and enforcing the appropriate dress of student workers within their departments.
Mother-Friendly Workplace
A privacy area has been designated on each campus for nursing/lactating mothers to express breastmilk. Blinn College allows a reasonable amount of break time to accommodate lactating mothers for a period of up to one (1) calendar year after the birth of the nursing child, pursuant to applicable state and federal laws.
The guidelines for employee use are as follows:
• Employees will provide a proposed schedule to their immediate supervisor, but also are expected to complete their usual work schedule and assignments while taking reasonable time off for expressing milk.
• An employee should be granted reasonable time to use the Privacy Room; however, if an employee's use of the room is unreasonable, the Supervisor should discuss the schedule and the impact on operations with the employee.
• Lactating mothers must have absolute privacy, free of disruption, and no one else shall have access to the room while it is in use.
• Designated rooms will be unlocked Monday-Friday, 8a-5p and are available on a first come, first serve basis.
The designated areas are below:
• Brenham Campus – Bullock, Rm 118 and STEI Building, Rm 218
• Bryan VM Campus – Modular Building B, Rm 110-B
• Tejas Center – Rm 168c
• Post Office Campus – Rm CC-33
• RELLIS Campus – Schwartz Building, Rm 457
• Sealy Campus – faculty office, no room number (please see Lisa Caton)
• Schulenberg Campus – Ladies Restroom for the disabled
Your position as a student worker will involve customer service in some capacity and may require you to monitor telephone calls. It is important to remember that you are a representative of Blinn College. Here are 10 simple tips to ensure that you provide excellent customer service:
➢ Be sure to speak clearly and smile as you answer the phone; also identify yourself.
➢ Always use a pleasant, friendly tone of voice.
➢ Do not answer the phone if you are eating or chewing gum.
➢ Try to answer the phone by the third ring.
➢ Never interrupt a person while he/she is talking to you.
➢ Before placing a caller on hold, ask their permission first and thank them.
➢ It is better to return a call than to keep someone on hold too long. Don’t forget to return the call as you promised.
➢ Do not make a habit of receiving personal calls at work.
➢ Never engage in an argument with a caller.
➢ Return calls promptly that have been left on voicemail.
TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE & CUSTOMER SERVICE TIPS
CAMPUS MAIL
➢ Blinn College receives the United States Postal Service (USPS) mail on a daily basis and accepts deliveries by FedEx, UPS and other ground carriers. The USPS delivers to each campus once a day to a central location, the Mail Room. The Mail Room then sorts the mail to be delivered to each specific department by an internal mail carrier (a person that works for Blinn and delivers the mail to each department).
➢ Blinn College also has intercampus mail (mail from one campus can be delivered to another campus). For example, the Brenham Human Resources Department has a letter that needs to go to the Bryan Human Resources office. This letter would be placed in the outgoing mailbox to be picked up by Blinn's internal mail carrier and it will be taken to Bryan. Your department supervisor will let you know where the outgoing mailbox is located for your department and the schedule for pick up and delivery.
➢ The Brenham Campus is the only campus where students can live in dorms on campus and need to receive personal mail. Student mailboxes are located in the Student Center across from the Conference Center meeting room.
➢ More information about Mail Room Guidelines can be found in the Student Services Information Section of the Faculty Handbook.
MyBlinn Time Entry
Online Time Sheets
Part-time hourly employees, student workers, and full-time employees working an occasional secondary/hourly position will submit time sheets online. To view time sheet training presentations, deadline calendars, and FAQs:
https://my.blinn.edu/HR/hrtraining/Documents/Time-Sheet-Entry-Training.pdf
https://my.blinn.edu/HR/hrtraining/Documents/Time%20Sheet%20Deadlines%202021-2022.pdf
Pay Information
To view your check stubs, pay history, direct deposit allocation, earnings and deductions history:
Click here
Employees have the option to allocate pay in up to three bank accounts. To access direct deposit information:
Click here
Tax Forms
All Blinn College employees will automatically be consented to receive their W-2 and 1095C tax forms electronically through Banner Self-Service. To view Electronic Consent Announcement and directions for opting out of electronic consent and if you prefer to receive tax forms via US mail, please go to Self Service Banner, Employee, Tax Forms, Electronic Regulatory Consent.
Banner Self-Service may be accessed from any computer with an internet connection. From the Blinn College home page log in to the MyBlinn Portal and select the Employee tab. All Banner resources and information may be found on the Human Resources/Training and Development webpage.