Casual Staff Engagement Policy

Version 1.5

Last amended: 24/09/2015

Faculty of Arts

Casual Staff Engagement Policy

1.Introduction

Due to changes in legislation regarding auto-enrolment and real-time information, the University has to take a more structured approach to contracting and paying the casual workforce.

This policy provides the Faculty of Arts[1] with a fair, transparent, defendable pay rate and robust identification and engagement process which is responsive, flexible and meets the requirements of the Schools/Departments/Sections and students.

2.Casual engagement

A casual worker is someone who is able to work on a flexible basis, usually for a short period of time, to meet changing demands and peak workloads. Casual workers are not employees of the University of Nottingham. They have no obligation to be available for work and the University has no obligation to provide work. They will only be paid for the hours they work and for accrued annual leave. They will have neither service conditions nor continuity of engagement.

3.Categories of casual staff

Casual workers within the Faculty of Arts can be categorised into seven categories:

Accompanists
Administrative, Professional and Managerial (APM) Casual Staff
Demonstrators
Instrumental Tutors
Research Affiliates
Student Ambassadors
Teaching Affiliates
Visiting/Guest Speakers

The casual engagement policy is tailored to each category.

4.Accompanists

Accompanists provide a subsidiary musical accompaniment to a student singer, instrumentalist or choir.

4.1Rate of pay

Each student undertaking the Performance module will be given an allowance for recital accompaniment dependent on the student’s year of study. Students are responsible for arranging this work and for negotiating payment. The Department has an approved list of Accompanists which are eligible to receive this allowance. If the Accompanist chosen is not on the Department’s approved list of Accompanists, the student will not receive any allowance and will have to fund this work themselves. Any further costs incurred by the student over and above the allowance are paid directly to the Accompanist by the student.

4.2Engagement

Students are responsible for contacting an Accompanist and for arranging accompaniment for their recital and any required rehearsals. Self-employed Accompanists will be paid on receipt of invoice in line with University practice and timescales. Other Accompanist’s casual engagement will be administered through HR.

5.APM Casual Staff

Casual roles within this job family are engaged for the provision of a range of services in support of the staff, students, systems and resources of the University and of the wider public.

The work may involveadministrative support, specialist advice, data and information management, project management or the development and implementation of systems or policy; contact with internal and external customers and external suppliers is a common feature.

5.1Rate of pay

Casual APM roles will be reviewed against the University’s APM job family by the School in partnership with Unitemps to determine the level of the role. Pay rates will be calculated from the first point of the appropriate level. Pay rates will be reviewed each year.

5.2Engagement

An APM casual engagement will be administered through Unitemps. If the casual worker has already been identified and selected by the School, Unitemps will only be used to administer the casual engagement procedures.However, if required Unitemps are able to identify and select candidates for the casual work at an additional 19% rate.

6.Demonstrators

Laboratory, practical and field work Demonstrators are required to provide basic assistance in class.

6.1Rate of pay

Demonstrators will be paid the University’s standard Demonstrator rate. Pay rates will be reviewed each year.

6.2Engagement

A Demonstrator’s casual engagement will be administered through HR.

7.Instrumental Tutors

Instrumental Tutors provide progressive instrumental teaching appropriate to the student’s needs and capabilities. Instrumental Tutors are able to demonstrate in lessons and teach to a high standard of proficiency within the tutor’s own specialism.

7.1Rate of pay

Instrumental Tutors will receive a specialist pay rate outside of the Research and Teaching salary scale. This pay rate is benchmarked against the average hourly rate of pay for Instrumental Tutors across the UK provided by the Incorporated Society of Musicians as well as the rate of pay used by our competitor universities.

7.2Engagement

Self-employed Instrument Tutors will be paid on receipt of invoice in line with University practice and timescales. Other Instrumental Tutor’s casual engagement will be administered through HR.

8.Research Affiliates

Research Affiliates will be primarily responsible for assisting and supporting research activities of staff by undertaking, for example:

Literatures searches
Developing questionnaires
Conducting surveys
Carrying out analyses and tests
Drafting of reports

8.1Rate of pay

Rates of pay are benchmarked against the University’s salary scale at the first point of the appropriate level within the suitable job family. Research Affiliates are positioned within the University’s Research & Teaching job family at level 4a. Pay rates will be reviewed each year.

8.2Engagement

A Research Affiliate’s casual engagement will be administered through HR.

9.Student Ambassadors

Student Ambassadors represent their Department/School at a variety of events and share their experience of studying at Nottingham. Such events include (but are not limited to):

Open days
UCAS visit days
May Fest

Student Ambassadors may also be engaged to do general administration in their School.

9.1Rate of pay

Student Ambassadors will be paid the University’s standard Student Ambassador rate. Pay rates will be reviewed each year.

9.2Engagement

A Student Ambassador’s casual engagement will be administered through Unitemps. If the casual worker has already been identified and selected by the School, Unitemps will only be used to administer the casual engagement procedures. However, if required Unitemps are able to identify and select candidates for the casual work at an additional 19% rate.

10.Teaching Affiliates

Teaching Affiliates are engaged to deliver established modules under supervision. They will manage their own teaching activity and reflect on practice and development of skills. Teaching Affiliates are required to have an understanding and knowledge of their subject/discipline gained through a degree or equivalent qualification. A Teaching Affiliate’s specific duties include (but are not limited to):

Administration
Preparation
Teaching
Assessment

10.1Rate of pay

The skills, qualifications and/or experience of someone engaged to teach on a casual basis have no bearing on the rate of pay.

Rates of pay are benchmarked against the University’s salary scale at the first point of the appropriate level. Teaching Affiliates will initially fall within the Research & Teaching job family at level 4a. If however the Head of Department/Section considers that more than 50% of the work allocated to a Teaching Affiliate sits within level 4, the HoD may pay the level 4 rate following approval from the Head of School.

The rate of pay for a Teaching Affiliate attending an induction session is level 4a regardless of the specific hourly rate of pay for an teaching engagement.

10.1Evening language tuition

Teaching Affiliates teaching evening language classes will be paid a level 4 rate for their teaching. This rate accounts for the level of autonomy required to administer and teach these classes.

10.2PhD supervision

Teaching Affiliates engaged to provide PhD supervision will be paid at level 5.

10.3Teaching norms

The Faculty of Arts teaching norms specify the amount of time allocated to each activity. Please contact the Faculty Manager if a teaching activity is not listed.

10.4Expression of Interest

Anyone interested in working as a Teaching Affiliate is required to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) along with their CV to the relevant Head of Department or Teaching Affiliate Co-ordinator (School of English only). If the prospective Teaching Affiliate is a PhD student, this form must be signed by a supervisor to indicate his/her approval of the EoI.

10.5Interview

Those considered to have the appropriate qualifications/knowledge to teach will be invited to interview by the Head of Department/Teaching Affiliate Co-ordination (School of English only).

The Head of Department or nominee/Teaching Affiliate Co-ordinator (School of English only) plus an academic colleague are required to panel the interview.

The Head of Department/nominee/Teaching Affiliate Co-ordinator, as lead panel member,has discretion on the length and form of interview. During the interview the lead panel member will be required to fill in and sign an Interview Record Form.

10.6Pool of casual staff

Teaching Affiliates successful at interview will be put into a casual staff pool for five years subject to satisfactory performance. When in the pool, Teaching Affiliates are not required to re-interview in order to take on a casual assignments. Those in the pool of casual staff have no obligation to be available for work, nor does the University have an obligation to provide work.

10.7Engagement

A Teaching Affiliate’s casual engagement will be administered through HR.

10.8Evaluation of teaching

Teaching Affiliates will be assessed once in each year they are given a casual assignmentin two ways: teaching observation and Evaluate (formerly referred to as Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET)). The Head of Department/Section or nominee is required to observe the teaching of each individual and to fill in and sign an Interview Record Form. This assessment will determine whether the casual worker is working to an appropriate standard and to define any areas where improvement and development is needed.

10.9Termination of engagement

All casual engagements are subject to satisfactory performance. Underperformance will result in termination of the assignment and/or removal from the pool of casual staff.

11.Visiting/Guest Lecturers

A Visiting/Guest Lecturer gives a one-off talk or short series of talks on a subject about which he or she has specialist knowledge, and which is not part of the core curriculum.

11.1Rate of pay

There is no rate of pay for Visiting/Guest Lecturers.Where payment is required, the Head of Department/Sectionis authorised to approve up to £300 without prior approval from the Head of School.The £300 may cover any of the following:- pay/travel/accommodation etc. but the overall payment should not exceed £300 unless approval from the Head of School is given.

11.2Administration

A payment to a Visiting/Guest Lectureris via the University’s HR which requires the School to submit form V1 – Visiting/Guest Lecturer Payment Request. Reimbursement is via our fee claim form.

12.Self-employment

If a casual worker is self-employed s/he will be required to send an invoice for an agreed payment to the School to administer. The School will then submit a completed Non-employee Status Application Form to HR.

13.Advertising

The School will publish the Faculty policy and process for the engagement of Teaching Affiliates and give all PhD students a fair opportunity to be considered.

Advertising other casual work opportunities is not required but can be managed bythe School Office if required.

14.Working hours

The maximum permissible amount of teaching activities for students (inclusive of preparation, delivery and marking) is six hours per week averaged over 12 months and subject to the requirements of any studentship or funding award held.

The Government has set a limit of 20 hours of employment per week for students during term-time from outside the European Economic Area. This applies to all work undertaken by the student, not just their work at the University.

15.Travel expenses & parking permits

Travel expenses and parking permits for casual engagementstaff(excluding Visiting/Guest Lecturers)are paid in exceptional circumstances only, after approval from the PVC for Arts, granted in advance of the casual engagement. Approval process: the member of staff wishing to pay the travel expenses should email a brief rationale to the PVC. No action should be taken until a response is received.

[1] School of English, School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies (American and Canadian Studies; Culture, Film and Media; French; German; Language Centre; Russian and Slavonic; Spanish and Latin American) and School of Humanities (Archaeology; Art History; Classics; History; Music; Philosophy; Theology and Religious Studies)