The Student Job Blog > July 2012

Searching For Off-Campus Student Accommodation In Australia

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Student Accommodation Freshers 2012Going away to university is an exciting experience, but one which also presents many challenges and many choices which, as a young adult, you may be facing for the first time.

Once you’ve decided which university to attend and been accepted, the next decision you’ll have to make is where you are going to live while you pursue your studies. Many students move into dormitories on campus, but that’s not an option that every student is happy with; fortunately, there are many other options available when it comes to student accommodation in Australia. Continue reading →

The Olympics: Work issues to watch out for!

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London 2012 Stadium

So we’re ready, set and nearly go as the five coloured rings have hit Tower Bridge and the Olympics Games Lanes are in full flow… Well full in any event.

But what do the Games mean for you and your work?

Here are a few things for you to think about over the next few days…

So you’ve nabbed a job for the summer… Great news!  In that case it’s important to keep in mind that it is your responsibility to get to work on time.  There is expected to be a great deal of travel disruption during the Games.  If you turn up for work late, particularly repeatedly, you may find yourself in a disciplinary hearing or even worse without a job.

Consider your travel arrangements carefully and familiarise yourself with your options.  There is plenty of travel information available on the Get Ahead of the Games website so there is no reason for you to get stuck.  Also consider cycling or walking to work where possible or explore flexible working options with your employer, for instance working from home or varying your working hours during the games.

If you are one of the lucky folk who have got themselves a ticket to the Games make sure you have booked the time off work or reorganised your shifts accordingly.  Again if you don’t show up to work you could end up in a pickle as taking time off during the Games is likely to look a little suspicious.  Remember also that your employer does not have to pay you for any period of unauthorised absence.

Having said that employers should have already discussed the above matters with their employees to keep any disruption to a minimum.  Nevertheless if you are under two years service you may well have limited protection against dismissal for failing to come into work or  arriving at work late so it is better to get these things sorted out rather than take the risk.

You may be asked or expected to work overtime during the Games.  Employees who work overtime do not have an automatic right to any additional pay; this will depend on the terms of their contract of employment, or on custom and practice. If there is no provision in your contract for you to be paid extra for working overtime, and there is no established practice of this happening in the past, then your employer does not have to pay you a premium if you do work overtime.

On the other hand you can only be required to work overtime, whether paid or unpaid, if this is provided for in your contract of employment or if you have always worked overtime when required in the past and so it has become custom and practice.

It is often the case that employees are expected to work unpaid overtime from time to time, to meet the reasonable requirements of the business. This is more common for employees in non-manual roles, who are on a salary, than for employees who are paid on an hourly basis.

If you are asked to work overtime during the Games and have never been required to do so before, check your contract of employment to find out where you stand.  If there is no provision for overtime or working additional hours when required then you may be in a position to refuse or be able to negotiate a premium for working any additional hours.

Now with that said… Enjoy the Games!

Gemma Brown is an assistant solicitor at TPP Law, a specialist public services law firm.  Gemma specialises in employment law.  Gemma is membership officer of the London Young Lawyer’s Group.

Graduate Schemes – Five Handy Tips

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Graduate Scheme Tips

It’s nearly that time of the year again!

Yes, it’s very nearly graduate scheme time. Whilst that may not be the most exciting prospect, it is still an important period of time in which recent and soon to be graduates will go about looking for jobs with reputable companies in a, usually, well paid training position.

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Volunteering – why do some organisations charge you to do it?

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Volunteering AbroadVolunteering abroad should only cost you your time, effort and enthusiasm- so why do so many volunteering organisations charge you to volunteer?

Google ‘volunteer abroad’ and you will be greeted with a plethora of flashy websites, professional-looking pages pregnant with volunteering opportunities, for a pricely sum that is. Scroll down a few pages, quietly tucked away are slightly more minimalistic, cut-and-paste websites. In the latter you will find volunteering opportunities where a willing volunteer is all that is required- not your money.

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Price of Student Accommodation: Student Halls, Private sector or Unihomeswap

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Price of Student Accommodation

Many students will choose to spend their first year in Halls of Residence, accommodation on or near campus which is owned and run by the individual universities. This is the choice for those students wanting to be in the heart of the social scene with endless invites and a steady stream of new friends wanting to party all night. The down side is you may be stuck for a whole year with people you have nothing in common with and whose kitchen and bathroom hygiene skills are nonexistent. On average you will be expected to pay for the accommodation for 40 to 45 weeks of the year. The accommodation can vary enormously from literally a room and a sink to a lovely luxurious double ensuite room, but of course the prices rise with the quality. Many major towns and cities now have private sector student blocks offering accommodation to suit student needs such as Opal and Unite. These are usually very centrally based and great for shopping and night life.  There is a new alternative choice, Unihomeswap, where you stay in a family home near the university for free, you have your own room but share facilities with the family. It is based on a reciprocal swap so there is a student staying in your room back at home during term time, (average 36 weeks a year). This is the choice for students wanting to study in their 1st year as well as joining in on some of the party scene; it is hard to escape where ever you live thanks to social media. Unihomeswap can also help ease the transition into independent living and for some enables the choice of finding a culturally similar home environment.

In 2nd and 3rd year students tend to leave campus and enter the private sector. If you have spent your first year going wild it is time to face your studies and work hard, remember you have at least £27,000 in tuition fees and then your accommodation and living costs to pay back. The cheaper but less secure option is hunting through the local papers and gumtree – be careful and never hand over money until you have signed an agreement. A popular con is asking for a refundable £50 just to secure a viewing, don’t do it. Safer options are to use schemes like Studentpad which is a university managed system where landlords have agreed with the university to meet certain criteria or Unipol; charity based, created by universities for universities and owns most of its properties. The popular choice is the shared house for 3 to 7 students, whichever of those routes you take you will be paying rent and signing a tenancy agreement.

Urban myth –‘the more students in a house the cheaper it will be for each student’. Landlords do not subscribe to this and charge the same rate per student per room no matter how many students live in the property.

Important – When renting  you will be asked to sign ‘an assured shorthold tenancy’ this is a legal and binding agreement where you will be jointly and severally responsible for any breaches of the contract, including damage to the property, rent arrears and prosecution for noise and rubbish pollution. What many students do not realise is that the law states you cannot have more than four people on a shorthold tenancy.  This means that for example in a house with 7 occupants if up to 3 decide not to pay, the four remaining students will be liable for paying all the rent between them. When taking on these tenancies, each student will have to produce a guarantor .This is usually the parent but the landlord has the legal right to demand money from the first four students and often does not bother to spend time chasing the absent students and their guarantors. Theses shared houses are known as HMO’s – houses in multiple occupancy and you will be far safer to stick to houses of four.

If you want to settle down to your studies in 2nd and 3rd year then using Unihomeswap could be the choice for you, saving a whole years accommodation costs. Make sure you make full use of the ‘How to’ section and spend time communicating with potential swappers to find the right one. Take advantage of this option while it is still free, registration will be charged at £25 per year from October 1st 2012.

Below – Accommodation costs taken from figures published on University websites and Gumtree adverts on 10/01/12:

Price of University AccommodationPrice of University Halls

Make sure your money adds up with the student calculator

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student finance calculatorWhether you’re going to university for the first time or heading back for another year you’ll probably have money on your mind – not only where it’s going to come from but how to make the most of it when you’re there?

The interactive student calculator has been designed by education charity Brightside to answer all your questions about money and build a budget for your studies. By entering your details into the calculator you’ll be able to discover:

  • how much student finance support you’re entitled to;
  • how much you’re likely to spend on rent, food and other costs
  • find tips on part-time jobs and other money saving ideasto make sure your income and expenditure balance out.

You’ll get a personalised budget tailored to your own situations which you can save and return to at any time, making the student calculator the quickest and easiest way to manage your money at university.

www.studentcalculator.org.uk