Student workers have expressed mostly positive reactions to the transition to the Web Time Entry payroll system by Human Resources.
Web Time Entry is an online payroll method allowing student workers to submit work hours electronically without the need to submit timesheets on paper.
According to an email from Human Resources, the university began transitioning student employees to use Web Time Entry during the July 22-Aug. 8 pay period. The full transition started with the Sep. 2-15 pay period.
Training opportunities for both student workers and employers were held via Microsoft Teams July 17-24. Additional training was held for student employees at the beginning of the fall semester.
The plan for paperless timesheets was discussed as far back as 2019 after multiple funding requests.
Student workers expressed mixed feelings about the transition to Web Time Entry.
Mariam Lopez, freshman nursing major, said she was used to the previous payroll method.
“At the beginning, it was kind of weird because we were used to another method but it’s basically easier than before,” Lopez said.
Dereth Miranda, sophomore kinesiology major, said payroll is sometimes tricky to keep track of.
“What I feel like now with the new payroll thing, I have more control over how many hours I have, like exactly how many hours I’m working,” Miranda said. “Sometimes it’s kind of tricky to keep track of when you have to submit the payroll thing and all those issues with that but regardless, I wouldn’t say it’s been bad for me.”
Miranda said Human Resources could improve training for student workers.
“I feel like if we improve the way that student workers get along with it, get some more tools, I know that we got some training, for example, some professional staff provided a training for us and told us how to do it,” Miranda said. “But I feel like integrating our students how to do it and keep track of them, it would be probably beneficial, and then probably the students wouldn’t be complaining about that.”
Anh Truong, sophomore nursing major, said it is quick and convenient for her.
“I like how it’s online more,” Truong said. “It’s quicker and convenient for me.“Before I had to do a paper where I had to, it’s like PDF, I just have to manually enter it in and have to calculate using my phone to calculate the hours, but now when I put my time, it automatically calculated for me for the two weeks pay I have.”
Jaden Crouch, junior theatre arts major, said they have not experienced issues with payroll, but the pay for student workers is barely enough to get by.
Crouch said the pay for student workers is not enough to allow for saving or covering the cost of tuition.
“I think I worked a lot of hours, specifically last semester,” Crouch said. “Since it’s only that 7.25, 8 just barely gets me any groceries.”Instructions for the Web Time Entry payroll system can be found on the Human Resources payroll page.
