Student helpers have been paid below the minimum wage by the Biology Department in a move YUSU President Kallum Taylor called “disgraceful”.
Biology, Biochemistry and Genetics students were employed from 9am to 4pm for a flat fee of £30 at an open day on Saturday 29th September.
This meant that the students, who worked for seven hours without a scheduled lunch break, were earning £4.29 per hour.
Volunteers aged 21 and above, for whom the minimum wage is £6.19 an hour – were being underpaid by £13.33 over the course of the day, over a third of their total earnings.
Since the national minimum wage for 18- to 20-year-olds is £4.98 per hour, student helpers in this age bracket were also being underpaid – by £0.68 per hour or around £5 over the course of the day.
The Biology helpers fare poorly compared to University-employed Student Ambassadors, who earned £6.95 per hour on the Open Day, and student helpers employed by other departments.
The History department paid volunteers a flat fee of £50 for the for the same day’s work.
While the Biology students were provided with Cookies Cafe vouchers for a complementary sandwich, many of the helpers did not have time for a lunch break and had to eat on the job.
The law says that the national minimum wage should be adhered to regardless of full- or part-time employment, or how the payment transaction takes place.
Those employed for a set number of hours or duties and doing “real work” – not shadowing – are workers and entitled to the national minimum wage.
Emily Booth, a second-year Biochemistry student, said: “Knowing this would stop me from offering my help for an open day, as I would feel slightly cheated.
“I personally don’t understand why Biology thought it was necessary to pay less, but they must have had a reason to have underpaid by such a large amount.
“I hope in the future they either pay the same amount which is only fair as Biology is a department in this university like all the others, or give valid reasons next time.”
YUSU President Kallum Taylor criticised the Biology Department’s poor reimbursement of its student helpers, telling Vision: “If this is true then it’s disgraceful and the students should be paid the proper amount. Simple.”
University of York Press Officer David Garner said: “Our policy is that all students should be paid at least the minimum wage while working for the University or its subsidiaries.”
In response to questions surrounding the open day, the Department of Biology commented: “Our students enjoy doing this and we have always viewed their contribution as essentially voluntary. Nevertheless, an honorarium of £30 has been paid whatever the length of the day. In addition to the payment, students helpers are provided with lunch, drinks and snacks throughout the day and there is plenty of opportunity for breaks and lunch throughout this time.
“The Department also provides its students with opportunities to undertake casual work such as demonstrating that is clearly offered and accepted on the basis of payment for hours worked. These types of activities are paid at the University hourly rate, as published on Human Resources website.”
In view of the suggestion that students involved are unhappy with the arrangements for Open Days we will be discussing the matter with student representatives before the next one takes place.”