Office of Career Preparation
Wage Rates, Increases and Pay Schedule
Each type of student job has an assigned pay range. A student employee should not be paid below the minimum wage rate of the assigned job type.
a. Minimum Wage: The minimum of the pay range for Student Employee A jobs is set at Oregon’s minimum wage, which is adjusted annually each January according to the Portland Area CPI. At SOU the new minimum wage rate is effective mid-December because that is the pay period in which January 1 falls for our student employees. Departments are advised to hire new student employees at the minimum of the pay range, unless a student employee’s experience, knowledge, and skills support a higher rate.
b. Maximum: Hiring rates and wage increases should not result in a wage rate that exceeds the maximum of a job’s pay range. A department that is considering a wage rate that exceeds the maximum of a job’s pay range must provide a written request to the Payroll Office to document the rationale for the request.
Pay Range — Effective May 1, 2013
Minimum Maximum
Student Employee A $8.95 $10.30
Student Employee B $9.20 $11.10
Student Employee C $9.45 $12.00
Wage Increases
a. Minimum Wage Adjustments
• Students earning minimum wage: Student employees cannot be paid less than Oregon’s minimum wage. Each student employee whose wage rate is below the minimum wage will be automatically adjusted to the new minimum wage rate through the payroll system. Supervisors do not need to submit any additional documentation.
• Students earning above minimum wage: Students who have been working in a department and, as a result of the increased minimum wage rate, will be earning the same as new students may receive an increase not to exceed the increase in the minimum wage rate at the discretion of the department. Supervisors need to take into account factors such as the department budget, the student employee’s level of responsibility, quality of work performance, length of service, and the degree of compression between the incumbent student employee and student employees at the minimum wage rate.
b. General Wage Increases: The awarding of student wage increases is at the discretion of the department. A wage increase of $ .05 to $ .25 per hour is recommended for student employees whose work performance is satisfactory or above satisfactory and who:
• returns to the same department in the same or similar position each academic year; or,
• are under consideration for a special merit increase under department guidelines; or,
• progresses to a higher level within the student’s job or to a new student job.
Pay Schedule
Student employees are paid on the last business day of each month. Payroll checks can be picked up in person (with picture identification) at the Payroll office, Churchill 160. Students may request direct deposit by providing the Payroll office with either an authorization form from their bank or a voided check and also by completing an Employee Change Form. Please contact the Payroll office at 541-552-8506 if you have any questions.
Final Paychecks
Final paychecks will only be issued outside of the normal payroll if a) the student is terminated by the department or b) the student is ending their employment with the University (not just a department) or c) the student is an "international student" and is leaving the country. The student's final hours, approved by the supervisor, will need to be submitted to the payroll office and a manual check will be issued. Advance notice to the Payroll department will help expedite the process.