Student Employment Opportunities

To ensure a safe and alcohol/drug free workplace, Dining Service policy requires that student employees do not work impaired. This prohibits the following before or during shifts: alcohol consumption, prescription drug abuse or use of controlled substances, including marijuana, and unlawful drugs. Any student employee violating this policy is subject to disciplinary action, including immediate termination of employment.

The use of tobacco and marijuana products is not permitted indoors or outdoors on any University property. The use or possession of medical marijuana is not permitted anywhere on WMU’s campus. The use of tobacco products is only permitted in enclosed personal vehicles. To view the Tobacco-Free Campus Policy, please visit: wmich.edu/policies/tobacco-free.

Hair Restraint
All student employees must have their hair restrained and hats on. Facial hair must be clean and neatly trimmed. Hair shoulder-length or longer must be tied back behind the shoulders or pulled up. Wear the WMU Dining Services hat brim forward while at work in all units. This hat will be supplied on the first day. If not, ask your student supervisor or manager for one. All student employees (including cashiers) must wear the approved WMU Dining Services hat. A hairnet, headband or scarf is not a substitute. 

A replacement WMU Dining Service hat ($7), t-shirt ($10) or name tag ($2) may be purchased with cash only.

Footwear
Shoes must enclose the entire foot and be made of leather or other substantial materials to prevent burns. Athletic type shoes are acceptable. Socks must be worn. No sandals, flip flops, open-toed shoes, lightweight cloth shoes or high heels.

Pants
Dining center student employees must wear clean and durable khaki pants that fit properly and extend to the ankles, or a khaki knee-length skirt. Managers may send you home to change, if uniform attire is not acceptable; such as jeans, yoga pants, leggings, tights, sweatpants or garments not clean or in good repair. Two WMU Dining shirts will be issued upon hire and must be worn during shifts along with name tag in all dining centers.

Campus Cafe employees are to wear long pants free of holes and in good condition; denim is acceptable. Campus Café drivers may be permitted to wear knee-length shorts in hot weather. All Campus Cafe employees are to wear a shirt with sleeves that comes to the neckline and sufficiently covers the top of the pants or is tucked into the pants. Shirts may not have markings of any university other than WMU and must be free of any representation of alcohol or inappropriate language/symbols.  

Aprons, Jewelry, General Guidelines
All student employees must wear an apron, the only exceptions are student supervisors, cashiers and drivers. Aprons are to be removed and left in the kitchen when using the bathroom or on a break.

Keep jewelry to a minimum for sanitation and safety reasons, ensuring nothing gets caught in equipment. Watches are acceptable.

Clothing must be kept clean and in good condition. Employees not properly dressed may be sent home to change or retire for the day.

Most shifts are two to four hours in length and will occur occasionally on weekends and holidays. (Dining Services is an essential service and remains open even when the University closes for inclement weather.) Student employees in Dining Services may work 20 hours or less each week. Student Employees should only report to work when scheduled and should not clock-in unless it is within 5 minutes or less of their shift start time. Students are responsible for tracking their own hours and for notifying Administrative Assistants of any other on-campus jobs. Please provide Dining with contact information for any other managers for any other on-campus job (max combined total of 25 hours; remember the 20 hour limit in Dining). These steps are to ensure your pay is accurate and that you are within your hourly limit of work on campus. Schedules are published each week on When2Work. The repeating schedule that we make consists of shifts that you agree on, so that they match your availability. It is your responsibility to know your schedule and use the trade board if you are unable to work your scheduled shift. Any shift posted to the trade board must be taken by an eligible employee who will not exceed their weekly limit of 20 hours. In the event that you cannot come to work, you will need to call the office with as much notice as possible. If there is no answer, please leave a voicemail. Attendance is recorded daily on student evaluations.

Do not eat or snack while working. Beverages are not allowed while working or at work stations. This includes beverages in cups/glasses and containers brought to work or obtained from Dining Services. Purchase a meal plan or pay the guest meal rate to eat at the dining center any other time. In the unusual event that you are given permission to eat during a shift, punch out for the meal. No food or beverage may be taken out of dining, this is theft which will result in termination.

Students working four consecutive hours or longer, are required to take a paid 15-minute break, taken as per your student supervisor/manager. You are to leave your immediate work area for your break and return on time. Drinks are allowed during this break, but not food. Eating requires clocking out. Always let your student supervisor know when you are leaving the workplace.

Laptops, headphones, cell phones and personal electronic devices are not allowed to be used during work time. These devices are banned for food safety, productivity, customer service and sanitation reasons. Laptops may be used in Campus Cafés to check work related communications, away from food, serving and register areas. Electronic devices may only be used on break and in break areas. When using these items during break, it is mandatory to wash your hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds or more before returning to work.

Improper hand washing is the main cause of food borne illness and can spread contagious diseases like COVID-19. Each employee is expected to practice good personal hygiene by frequently scrubbing hands for at least 20 seconds when washing and after or before the following activities:

• When first reporting to work
• Before putting on gloves, face masks and other PPE
• Before and after handling uncooked food
• Before and after handling or serving food
• After touching your face or hair
• After adjusting or removing gloves, face mask or other PPE
• After taking a break, eating or smoking
• After returning to the kitchen from any other area
• After using the restroom
• After sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose
• When leaving work

Fingernails must be clean and neatly trimmed. Fingernail polish is not allowed; it can chip and contaminate food.

Never touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands. Instead, use a serving utensil, such as tongs, or disposable plastic or latex gloves. Ready-to-eat foods include: cookies, bagels, fruit, salad preparation and any other food not cooked before serving. Change gloves between hand washings.

We use two systems, an electronic timekeeping system (KRONOS) and a punch-card time clock. Campus Cafes employees punch-in using the electronic timekeeping system (KRONOS) and the cash register system (Micros). The electronic system’s clock utilizes WMU Bronco Cards for swiping in and out. Instructions on swiping are posted by the clock. When swiping in, select the correct job. Swipe in/out with your WMU Bronco Card and punch a paper timecard before and after a shift. When you “clock-out” for a break, use both clocks. See your supervisor if you forget to swipe. WMU establishes the pay scales for student employees, which are published on the University's website. Most Dining Services jobs are Level SE1.

Each pay period is two weeks in length. WMU offers two payment options: direct deposit to your bank account or an issued VISA Payroll Card. All employees are required to enroll in one of these programs. Paychecks are not issued. The document that specifies the number of hours worked, pay rate, taxes and other withholdings (a check advice or check stub), is available online. Check stubs can be found at the GoWMU web portal. Click on the “Employee Self Service” link, click on “Self Service” then “View Paycheck.”

We encourage student employees to sign up for direct deposit, a direct pay installment for a student’s supplied bank account. Sign up for direct deposit online at the GoWMU “Self Service” link referenced in the previous paragraph. Request forms may also be submitted directly to the payroll office. If direct deposit is not established, bring a picture ID to the payroll office to pick up a VISA payroll card.

After hire, Student Employees are expected to give a two-week notice before resigning.Any student employee who violates the Dining Service policies, the University work hour policy, electronic device restrictions, tobacco-free environment, or other expectations may be subject to disciplinary action, including termination of employment. Some behaviors that result in immediate termination and ineligibility for rehire at any Dining Location include: theft, poor conduct/insubordination, working more than 20 hours per week, quitting without notice and poor attendance. If a student is terminated for any of the above reasons and wishes to be rehired in Dining Services, the student may appeal to the Director of Dining Services after one year has elapsed.

• Report all accidents to the unit manager.
• Walk, do not run. Clean up all spills on the floor immediately.
• Use a broom and dustpan to pick up broken glass and china. Put broken items in the designated broken glass bin.
• Disinfection procedures must be followed as written to properly disinfect surfaces.
• Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling hazardous chemicals. PPE’s include goggles, face mask and rubber gloves. 
• Keep chemicals away from food. All chemicals must be labeled. Use as instructed. Never mix chemicals.
• Lift properly, using your legs. Get help with heavy objects.
• Store personal items in the area provided; personal items are not allowed in work areas.

If you are sick with any of the following symptoms, stay home and call Sindecuse. Students should not come to work if any of the symptoms listed are present: diarrhea, fever, vomiting, jaundice, sore throat with fever, and infected cuts or wounds on the hand, wrist or other exposed body part. Employees experiencing these symptoms while at work must report to their dining unit manager, as agreed upon hire by signing the Food Employee Reporting Agreement. The purpose is to prevent food-borne illness resulting from sick employees in the food environment. For food safety reasons, return to work after being symptom-free for at least 24 hours to prevent spreading illnesses to other employees and customers. It is important that employees fully recuperate before returning to work. In case of extended illness or injuries, doctor notes may be needed for verifying the ability to return to work. It might be necessary to get a doctor’s note if you need to stay home from work.