Spring 2024 Student Employment Information

All student employment assignments are eligible to remain active from the time of hire until the student’s graduation date, with the exception of any assignments ended at the request of the hiring department.  

The last eligible work date for student employees who are graduating in the May 2024 Commencement is May 19, 2024—after this date, all graduating students will no longer be student employment eligible, with the exception of graduating students who will continue in an IC graduate program in the upcoming semester.  

Students who will continue taking classes throughout the summer or are enrolled in classes in the Fall 2024 semester are eligible to work up to 40 hours weekly, beginning May 20. Any hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours will be overtime eligible (at time and a half) and the department will need to ensure that they have budgeted appropriately to cover any overtime expenditures. Student eligibility to work forty (40) hours weekly will run through August 25, after which time all students will need to return to working no more than twenty (20) hours weekly across all student employment assignments.  

Student employees working full-time during the summer are entitled to meal breaks and rest periods, as defined in the Student Employee Handbook.  

• Students are entitled to a 30-minute meal break (unpaid) during a work shift of at least six (6) hours which extends over the noon day meal period (the noon day meal period is from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm). 

• Additional rest breaks may be given at the discretion of the supervisor. 

• Meal breaks and rest periods cannot be accrued. 

• Supervisors and students should agree in advance on the timing of meal and rest periods.  

During the summer session, student employees are no longer FICA-exempt and will see both Medicare and Social Security withheld from their paychecks. Student employees can refer to their payslips to view changes to their tax withholding information. Students enrolled in more than six (6) academic credits in the Fall semester will return to FICA-exempt status on August 12, 2024. 

Student FICA exemptions are set in accordance with federal regulations and there will not be flexibility on these student tax withholding adjustments. 

During the summer, student employees will continue to accrue New York State Paid Sick Leave at their normal rate—one (1) hour of sick time for every thirty (30) hours worked, up to a maximum of fifty-six (56) hours per fiscal year. Students can apply NYS PSL time directly to their timecard. For questions regarding NYS PSL, or NYS PSL time entry, please reach out to StudentEmployment@Ithaca.edu.