Employing students

Students are allowed to work in any role providing it's:

• not a permanent role 
• not self-employed

Students can work a maximum of 20 hours per week during term-time (or 10 hours per week if they are studying on a language course). This includes all work activity regardless of whether it is paid or unpaid.

Students will receive their decision via email and this will confirm any work restrictions that they need to be aware of.

At LSE, all students are considered to be on vacation during the advertised winter School closure and spring School closure periods. The LSE term dates are available on the website. 

There are different rules for the summer vacation.   PhD students, 1-year Masters students and 2-year Masters students who are in the second year of their programme do not have a summer vacation and are not permitted to work full-time during this period.  Therefore, masters students and PhD students will need to make a formal request for vacation if they wish to take it during the summer. 

Other universities may have different arrangements and so students should check directly with their university.

Students can work full-time during vacation periods and after they can demonstrate they have finished studying.

Please note that ‘finished studying’ is usually when all elements of the course programme have been completed and the Certificate of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) end date has passed. Students who submit their dissertation or PhD thesis before their CAS end date are still regarded as studying and are not permitted to work full-time. Therefore, in the case of students who have submitted their work early and to avoid the risk of students unwittingly working more hours than they are allowed to, please ask the student to check their status with the Student Services Centre before undertaking any work.

Students must send their evidence to HR before working more thank 20 hours per week. Students are eligible to work more than 20 hours per week during their formal vacation times, and after they have finished studying.

If a student is on vacation, they need to provide proof of their vacation dates. LSE students can generate a copy of their enrolment letter which contains this information. Non-LSE students will need to contact their university to ask for a letter to confirm their vacation dates. 

This information is also required when the right to work check takes place.

Please note that Masters and PhD students do not have a summer vacation as they are considered to be studying during this period. Therefore, if they wish to take vacation, they will need to seek formal permission from their university and in advance, if they wish to take a vacation during the summer period.  

Students that have finished studying will need to provide evidence that their course programme has ended. LSE students can generate an enrolment letter which shows their course programme end date. LSE students should generate this within 24 hours of the date they complete their right to work check so that we can check the course end date has passed.

Non-LSE students will need to provide a letter from their university to confirm they have completed their course programme. 

Yes, providing they are integral and assessed as part of the course and is an approved work placement under the programme regulations.

Before they can start, they must provide a letter from their university on headed paper confirming:

• The work placement forms an integral part of the course and does not breach any work placement restrictions
• The terms and conditions of the work placement
• The work that the student will be expected to do on the work placement
• How and when the student will be assessed during the work placement.

Formal work placements are not counted as part of a student’s 20 hours per week maximum (or 10 hours per week maximum if they are a language student) during term-time.

When employing students, you have a responsibility to actively manage the student’s working hours so that they do not work more than 20 hours per week.  This is to protect the student and the School.  To help you achieve this, you should undertake the following steps:

• Ensure they receive a contract and complete a right to work check and declaration form before they start doing any work.
• Check if they are undertaking any other employment, in addition to working for you and remind them of their visa conditions.
• Actively manage their working hours so that they are not asked to work more hours that they are allowed to.
• If they wish to work more hours, check they are eligible and ask them to send their proof to HR first.

Working more than 20 hours per week is considered as a breach of visa conditions.  It means that any student who works more than 20 hours per week when they are not allowed to has worked illegally.  Illegal working is treated very seriously by the UK government and illegal working has very serious consequences for the student and for LSE.

Students who work illegally could be taken to court or sent to prison.  They could be fined, face deportation or be banned from entering the UK again for up to 10 years.  This would also have to be declared on other visa applications. 

If LSE is found to be allowing students to work illegally, it could receive a fine of up to £60,000 and/or have its sponsor licence revoked or downgraded which would affect its ability to continue to sponsor staff and students.  Also, as part of LSE’s sponsor licence obligations, LSE is required to report any student who is found to work more hours than they are allowed.