Vermont State University is experiencing significant difficulties in its student employment program. Many student workers have not been paid due to contract issues. Some students and faculty believe the problem stems from technical challenges and a need for more communication.

The delays have impacted both work-study and non-work-study positions, leaving students wondering when they will receive their money. Some believe the number of contracts overburdened existing systems, resulting in widespread confusion and frustration.

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this entire situation. Many student workers reported that the problem began with a payroll system malfunctioning that processed their contracts and payments.

 Zoey Teal, a student tutor in the STEM department, said, “My boss told me someone had to reboot this computer system that resends our contracts, and for some reason, it took like a month to get updated, but I still don’t know what that means.”

Students were left waiting for their contracts to be renewed or even sent out, resulting in a backlog of payments. Teal claimed she had not gotten her contract renewal despite working for the department for nearly a year. 

“Usually, every semester, you get sent a new contract to get paid through, and I hadn’t been sent the contract until a week ago,” Teal said.

Student Employment Coordinator Michelle Perry highlighted the process concerns that are causing these delays. Perry said contracts must be signed and submitted before student employees can be officially added to the UKG system, the University’s payroll processing software. 

“If you’re not being paid, it means you have not completed something in the process; either you didn’t complete onboarding if you’re a new hire, or you haven’t signed the contract,” Perry said. “We cannot send the contract to UKG until it is signed.”

Perry stated that the UKG software has often been crashing, adding to the complications. She handles many contracts, with 1,500 processed last year alone and 130 unsigned contracts this year.

“There’s a lot of things that it doesn’t do that we wish it did. It has been crashing a lot lately. So, it has been a problem, yes, but there’s not a person in the whole system that’s not going to say that UKG is a problem,” Perry said. “I am sending them 300 contracts a day. And I think UKG doesn’t like it.”

Despite efforts to improve the system, the backlog continues. Perry, however, said UKG may change within a year or two. Returning students must sign new contracts each semester to continue working and receive pay.

The frustration among student employees is apparent. According to Teal, just a tiny percentage of the students in her department have been paid. 

“It’s only happening to certain people, which is weird,” Steel said. There are 12 STEM tutors, and in the month of September, three people got paid out of the 12.”

Junior Becky Hannwhacker expressed frustration after being told she no longer has a job. 

“I was told I was no longer eligible to work after I started working for five weeks. Then, I wasn’t guaranteed I was getting paid. They finally sent an email saying I will get paid soon,” Hannwhacker said. “It’s still frustrating, though, because there was no communication. It took me weeks to get into the system, and then they told me I was not eligible.”

Miscommunication seems like a common theme, leading to frustration. 

“If there are problems, and students or administration don’t reach out and let me know, I can’t help them get it signed,” Perry said.

Multiple student employees in similar positions have been given the choice of not working, but many are now faced with a difficult decision. Teal added that students have been advised they can continue working throughout the delay. 

“My supervisor has been accommodating. They claimed it was up to us if we wanted to work because we would eventually be paid back. If we didn’t want to work until it was repaired, we didn’t have to.” 

Oliver Hope has worked in the communications department tech office since spring 2023. 

“My boss Sam and I were both under the impression that since I had worked there before, I could just start working,” Hope said. “However, when I tried to log my hours in UKG, it said I was ‘suspended’ from the job.”

The situation at Vermont State University is complicated and some students think it could be due to the recent merger with other state schools.. 

“Usually, it’s pretty straightforward. This is the first time I’ve seen any issues. I think it’s pretty telling since it’s happening right after the transition and merger,” Hope said.

While no formal statement has been issued linking the merger directly to student employment troubles, many students and faculty feel it has contributed to the current difficulties. The increased volume of paperwork and technical issues in the UKG system has resulted in delays and confusion.

As Vermont State University works to fix the delays, administrators encourage students to remain patient and complete all mandatory onboarding requirements. Perry advised students to ensure their tax forms and contracts are correctly submitted and signed to avoid future complications.

 Those who have finished the process but are still waiting for payment can receive reimbursement. 

“You can complete a back pay form, and you will be paid for every hour you work,” Perry said.

While the University hopes to clear the contract backlog shortly, the process is still ongoing. Students and officials at Vermont State University are navigating the new terrain of student employment.

“I found it pretty demoralizing that I couldn’t log my hours and didn’t know when I would get paid. When I came into work on Wednesday this week, I thought if it’s not fixed and I can’t log my hours, I’m going to quit,” Hope said.