Student Employment | Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get paid?

Student employees at Pepperdine University must track their time in Kronos, an online time card system. Paychecks are issued biweekly. In order to receive your paycheck in a timely manner, students are encouraged to sign-up for Direct Deposit. You must be careful to follow the biweekly payroll schedule, to ensure that your time card is submitted completely and properly by the deadlines; failure to submit your time card may result in delay of your payment.

Are there breaks?

Yes. If you work over 3 ½ hours, you must take a 15-minute break. If you work over five hours, you must take a 30-minute unpaid meal break before the fifth hour ends and one 15-minute break. If you work eight hours, you must take a 30-minute unpaid meal break before the fifth hour ends and two 15-minutes breaks. Meal time is unpaid and may be 30 to 60-minutes, depending on the needs of your department and/or supervisor.

Do I get paid overtime and holiday pay?

Students are not authorized to work overtime or on holidays. In rare circumstances, overtime hours may be needed to adequately support your work. Any overtime hours must be approved in advance by the student’s supervisor and by the GSEP Student Employment office.

Do I get sick paid time off?

Yes. Student employees will begin to accrue time on the first day of work at the rate of.033 hours of sick time per hour worked. When using sick leave, students must take a minimum of 1 hour of sick leave at a time, in one-hour increments. (Example: if you have accrued 5.333 hours of sick leave, you can use a minimum of 1 hour or a maximum of 5 hours). Students can utilize sick time ONLY if they are unable to work their assigned shift due to illness or a medical appointment AND cannot make-up the shift on another day during the same work week. It is important to notify your supervisor prior to the beginning of your shift (if possible) to let them know you will be unable to work due to illness. Accrued sick leave is NOT to be used as paid vacation time or study time nor can it be forecasted, unless it is for a medical appointment set in advance and the hours CANNOT be made up during this same work week.

Do I have to pay taxes?

Earnings are subject to state and federal income tax. FICA (Social Security and Medicare) and DI (Disability Insurance) are typically not deducted from on-campus student employees who are enrolled in a minimum number of units and do not work more than 20-hours per week. However, if a student falls below the minimum number of units (e.g., during the summer or when the University is not in session), FICA and DI will be deducted from the student’s paycheck.

What if I have a problem while at work?

Student employees are encouraged to speak directly to their supervisors regarding any work-related issues. If a student wishes to speak with someone other than his/her direct supervisor, please contact GSEP Student Employment at gsepsemp@pepperdine.edu.