How much work can students take on along with full-time study?
As a responsible employer it is important to take an interest in student workers' education.
It is useful for an employer to be aware of the recommended work-hours are for students in different year groups, as their needs differ.
Just how many hours a student can work depends on a number of factors:
- School year
- Family responsibilities
- Outside school interests
Independent research conducted for the New South Wales Teachers Federation (Think: Insight & Advice, "You're Gold If You're Fifteen Years Old", 2007) showed that half of all students in Years 10 - 12 work more than ten hours per week. These levels of part-time work are mirrored in overseas research.
The same research also showed that students who work the most hours are most likely to go to school feeling tired, fail to hand in assignments and to say that part-time work negatively impacts their overall school performance.
As a result of this research, Teachers Federation advises that full-time high school students should monitor their academic performance carefully if they work more than fifteen hours per week.
The time of day at which the hours are worked can also have an impact on school performance. Late night shifts, combined with long hours spent at work are the most corrosive to school performance, according to the research. The most at-risk students according to the table below are the 23% of Year 12, 14% of Year 11 and 17% of Year Ten students who work more than 16 hours per week because they are also the ones most likely to work late night shifts.
The Teachers Federation advises that high school students should monitor their academic performance if they work more than two shifts after 9 p.m. on Sunday to Thursday evenings.
Employers can help students maintain solid school performance by monitoring both the number of hours and number of late shifts students work. There are many things that employers can do to help students maintain their academic performance, some of which are listed below. However, the most important thing you can do as an employer of students is to demonstrate interest in their education and ask them how they are managing the load of full-time study and part-time work.