Academic Support Staff (Fixed Term & Casual)

The terms and conditions of your employment at the University of Canterbury, including your hours of work and remuneration, are in the Letter of Offer we sent you. You were also sent a Position Description or Schedule of Duties as part of your offer of employment. This document outlines the work you are required to undertake at UC and should you have any queries regarding any of your offer pack you should speak to the Department/ School contact person for clarification. Your Department/School will brief you when you start work.

The Code of Conduct defines and clarifies the standards of behaviour expected of University staff members in their relationships within the University community, and between the University and the wider community. You are required to read and understand this document.

The Holidays Act 2003 sets out the minimum provisions for annual leave entitlement for fixed-term and casual staff members.

• Fixed-term staff members who are employed for less than 12 months are paid holiday pay on either a pay-as-you-go basis of 8% or in a lump sum of 8% at the end of their fixed-term employment.
• Fixed-term staff members who are employed for more than 12 months are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave, upon the completion of each period of 12 months continuous employment. You apply for this leave via UCPeople (HR Self-Service).

Casual staff members receive 8% holiday pay on a pay-as-you-go basis, along with each wage payment.

When you start work within your department/school make sure you ask them:

• Who your department/school contact person is.
• What the department/school expectations are if you are sick or can't come into work.
• Generally you should notify your manager/head or designated supervisor as early as possible if you are going to be absent - preferably before you are due to start work for the day. If you are unable to do so because of the nature of your illness or injury, you should ask someone to do it for you leaving a contact number.

You should try to give some indication of how long you expect to be absent and maintain regular contact with your department/school during your absence.

Please check your Employment Agreement for the details of your paid sick leave entitlement if any.

Refer to the UC Services Portal (HR Service Delivery) for further information on how to apply for sick leave.

Pay periods are fortnightly.Salaries are either paid by:

• Timesheet, which means you are required to complete your online timesheet for hours worked on a fortnightly basis within the required timeframe in order to be paid (see below);
• Set payment(s), which means you don’t need to complete a timesheet unless you are required to work hours in addition to your contracted hours.
• Make sure you check your employment agreement to establish how the payment of your salary is managed. If you are required to complete a timesheet, see Completing your timesheet.
• Guideline: Employee Self-Service for Staff Paid by Timesheet or Lump Sum (PDF)

The University of Canterbury’s HR and Payroll System, UCPeople, has an Employee Self Service feature which includes an online timesheet and payslip viewing access.

Guideline: Employee Self-Service for Staff Paid by Timesheet or Lump Sum (PDF, 135KB) explains how to submit your timesheets.

Important notes to ensure you get paid in a timely manner:

• If you are a current UC student who has been offered casual or fixed-term employment with UC, you will be issued with a staff User ID code and password in addition to your student User ID and password. Use your staff User ID code and password to log onto and submit timesheets via UCPeople.
• We recommend that you email your timesheet approver once you have submitted a timesheet. The system does not alert them to the fact a timesheet is awaiting approval. In the departments with lots of staff on timesheets it shouldn't be an issue, but talk to your timesheet approver and check what they'd like you to do. If your timesheet is not approved in the system, your pay will not be processed and you will have to wait a fortnight until the next pay run. If your timesheet approver is away it is worth checking with the department that arrangements have been made to ensure timesheets are approved in their absence.
• When your contract is drawing to a close, submit your final timesheet prior to your termination date. Once your contract ends you will no longer have access to the electronic timesheet system and will have to complete a manual timesheet. This is likely to slow down your final payment.

The University of Canterbury requires that all employees of the University (continuous, fixed-term and casual) are legally entitled to work in New Zealand and that evidence of this legal right has been provided in the form of a passport, birth certificate and ID, the originals of which have been sighted and photocopies dated and signed, and placed on the employee’s personnel file.

It is your responsibility to ensure you are legally eligible to accept and undertake paid employment in New Zealand.

If you have recently renewed your visa, bring the new one into Pay and HR for us to sight. If your visa is due to expire you should make contact with Immigration NZ.

Your department or school is your first point of contact.

• People & Culture team contacts - staff only
• EAP Services is free and offers all staff members access to voluntary, confidential, safe and professional counselling assistance.