Member

The core issue with the guaranteed-hours reforms is that they are fundamentally incompatible with the nature of student work. The proposed changes would force employers such as universities, student unions and seasonal businesses to provide guaranteed hours after a student worker meets the required threshold, over a 12-week reference period. While that sounds reasonable on the surface, it ignores the fact that students are employed seasonally, based on the academic calendar. Students typically work during term time and not during holidays such as Christmas, Easter or summer. The reference period proposed in the Bill would not account for the seasonal, term-time nature of student employment.