Pay and Conditions

Protecting your rights when working on campus

We care about protecting the rights of all students working on campus, which is why the Student Employment on Campus Policy seeks to ensure that our processes and engagement terms are fair, transparent, equitable and inclusive.

Students completing casual work on campus (through the SEOC policy) are covered under the Casual Workers Agreement 2022 and should familarise themselves with the People Services Privacy Notice‌. Before undertaking any work, you should ensure that you have read, understood and agree to the terms of this agreement. If you have any questions about this agreement, contact seoc@ncl.ac.uk.

Statutory Sick Pay Eligibility

Information on sick pay eligibility can be found on page four of the Casual Workers Agreement 2022. Additional information is available at https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay

Pay levels for student work assignments

Student casual worker pay levels set out work types, descriptions and examples of work which student workers can undertake and the appropriate pay level associated with each type of work.

Pay Levels vary from Level 1 to Level 6. The University introduced the Real Leaving Wage for all colleagues from 01 August 2019. This applies to Student Casual Workers and is reflected in the rates outlined in Student Worker Pay Levels Document - October 2024

Do I have to pay Tax or National insurance (NI)?

Students will pay Income Tax and NI when their wages reach the required threshold.

National Insurance:

• Payable on all income over £1,048 per month. NI is calculated as 8% of any earnings between £1,048 and £4,189 per month and 2% on earnings over £4,189.
• This includes all payments made to an individual in the month, including payments spread over multiple work assignments that are paid within the same period.

Income Tax:

The tax calculation will depend upon the tax code assigned to the student. When registering for work via Newcastle University's Student Portal, a Tax declaration is chosen, and a Code assigned depending on the choice. HMRC may also issue codes or amendments to us. 

The following is assuming the student is on a standard cumulative tax code of 1257L

• For the tax year 2024/25 a student can earn up to £12,570 per year before they start paying income tax
• Above the Personal Allowance (£12,570), the amount the student pays depends on the amount they earn:
  • the first £12,570 is tax-free
  • 20% is deducted on pages between £12,570 and £37,700
  • 40% is deducted on earnings between £37,701 and £125,140
  • 45% is deducted on earnings above £125,140
• Tax is calculated on a pro-rata basis. Although the annual tax free amount is £12,570 the payroll pro-rates the allowance soa tax free portion (£1,048) is received every month. If a student was to earn a lot in one month they may be deducted tax, however that may be refunded in subsequent months if their year to date earnings are below the pro rate tax free allowance

You can find out further information on the government website https://www.gov.uk/student-jobs-paying-tax