Off-campus opportunities

All students working for Brunel University London are restricted to working 15 hours a week during term time.  Additionally, students studying with a Tier 4 visa are restricted by law to the numbers of hours they can work (paid or unpaid) in the UK during term time. Please consult the University’s policy on ‘Rights to work for students and clarification on term time’.

National Minimum Wage

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) is a minimum amount per hour which most workers in the UK are entitled to be paid. With a few exceptions, it applies to all workers over the compulsory school leaving age. The rate is reviewed every year. Any changes take place in October. All employers have to pay the NMW to workers who are eligible for it – there are no exceptions for different types or size of employer. Where you work in the UK makes no difference to the level of NMW you should receive.

There are different levels of NMW, which depend on your age. Click here to find the current rates.

Deductions from wages

Your employer is only allowed to make a deduction from your wages when it falls into certain special categories, such as for tax or for recovering previous over payments. If you think that part or all of your wages have been wrongly deducted or withheld by your employer then you should seek advice as soon as possible.

Payslips must show earnings before and after any deductions, explain any deductions and show how the wage is paid. You should keep your payslips for as long as possible as proof of your earnings, tax paid and any pension contributions.

If you think you are not being paid some or all of the wages owed to you or if you are not in receipt of a proper payslip, please seek advice as soon as possible. For more useful information about deductions from wages visit the Tax Guide for Students website.

National Insurance

Anyone that works in the UK must apply for a National Insurance (NI) Number, but you do not need to have received your NI Number before you can start work. If you were born in the UK you should have received a National Insurance number around your 16th birthday, if you were living in the UK at that time.

If you have never received a National Insurance Number (for example if you are an international student) you will need to apply for one. You should contact the Jobcentre Plus application line on 0345 600 0643 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Working Time Regulations

In 1998 the Working Time Regulations were implemented to ensure that UK legislation complied with EU standards. This means that in most circumstances there are legal limits on the number of hours your employer can force you to work and special rules for the number of unpaid rest breaks you are entitled to.

Holidays

From 1 April 2009 all workers have a statutory right to at least 5.6 weeks’ paid annual leave (that is at least 28 days' paid holiday if you work five days a week). Your employer could choose to include bank holidays in the 5.6 weeks.

You do not have the right to choose when you take your holiday and your employer can bar you from taking holidays at certain times of year. You should give your employer sufficient notice when you want to take holiday.

If you leave your job with holiday pay owing you are entitled to holiday pay related to how long you have worked. If you have not taken any holiday and your contract entitles you to 5.6 weeks paid holiday but you leave after 6 months you will be entitled to 2.8 weeks holiday pay. If you have taken more holiday in the period than you should have done then you may have to pay it back.

Please visit the Gov.uk website for more information.

When making online applications, there are some general principles to keep in mind in order to ensure you don’t become the victim of fraud. Unfortunately, from time to time, vacancies are advertised online with the intent of acquiring your personal or financial information for use in a fraudulent manner. Here are some basic guidelines to help you identify potential fake or scam jobs.

Make sure the employer is genuine

• Professional companies will use company email addresses and traceable contact numbers. Always research the company online and call a registered landline number to speak to someone about the role.
• Be aware of job offers that come from unofficial email addresses (or variations of the actual company email address) such as Gmail, Hotmail, etc. Fraudulent individuals will often steal the reputation of a company and pretend to be advertising job opportunities in their name.

The application process

• Legitimate jobs will always have a formal application process and securing a role without attending a face to face interview is a very unlikely occurrence.
• Be alert to job offers that barely match your experience or skill set – these are likely to be a scam
• If you are asked for personal information, such as a copy of your passport, driving license or bank account details without having met the employer, it is likely that the opportunity is fake and an attempt at identity theft.

Pay and duties

• If the pay on offer seems too good to be true for the work you are required to do, it probably is. Be wary of ‘employers’ who ask you to transfer money on their behalf or run shopping errands on receipt of a cheque.
• If there are significant differences between the job advertised and what you are being asked to do, you should investigate further

Keep your identity safe

• If you are uploading your CV onto an online jobs board avoid including personal identification details and definitely not financial information
• When applying for a job online, if you are asked to send a form of identification for to be scanned to check your identity beware - this is not a legitimate request
• Social media sites are also great ways for fraudsters to find unwitting job seekers and to gain a full employment history and background to use in building the relationship

What should you do if you think you’ve identified a fake vacancy?

If you believe you have been a victim of a scam vacancy contact the PDC Job Shop immediately. We will be able to advise you on your next steps and help you get in contact with the relevant people and organisations.