Office of Student Life
Dining Services

Employment Basics

Employment Basics

Performance Improvement Plans and Correction Action

Your Student Employment experience is a wonderful opportunity to gain relevant work experience and prepare yourself for a career after graduation. Supervisors are ready to support you in learning from work performance throughout your time with Dining Services. To best manage expectations and not negatively impact the business and fellow staff, we do have a corrective action point structure. Managers are solution focused when coaching students when they are assigned a correction action point. Our goal is to minimize and resolve performance issues in a supportive space where students can learn from mistakes and continue to thrive in their employment role. Employees are required to arrive on time and ready to perform their job duties. An unscheduled absence from work affects the unit’s ability to meet guests’ needs. A point system is used to manage this accountability yet give allowance to some unavoidable absences. A commitment to clear communication with supervisors and peer leaders is critical for your employment success and prevents avoidable point acquisition.

1 POINT: TARDY Not present and ready to work in assigned work area at start time of scheduled shift. Any clock in time three minutes past scheduled start time will be recorded as a tardy

2 POINTS: ILLNESS ABSENCE A call off due to illness will result in two points per illness occurrence. Student is removed from schedule until permitted to return. To return, employee must be clear of symptoms for at least 24 hours or have a written release from a medical practitioner. Doctor notes do not excuse an illness absence for zero points.

2 POINTS: ABSENCES Includes shifts called-off in advance for which a replacement has not been found or when you are more than 30 minutes late for your scheduled shift.

4 POINTS: NO CALL/NO SHOW Three consecutive no call/no show occurrences will be considered job abandonment, and manager will move forward with termination.

1 POINT: BEHAVIORAL This includes uniform infractions, concern for safety (including food safety), insubordination, neglect of duty and any other behavioral related incidents that necessitate documentation. As temporary employees, employment status is at-will; if behavior is deemed extreme; you can and will be terminated and may not be eligible for future employment in our department.

10+ POINTS: TERMINATION Ten or more corrective action points are grounds for termination. A point is removed six months from date assigned. All points are removed when hired or promoted into a new dining employment position. There are no permanent point assignments

Attendance Guidance:

Plan Ahead: Plan accordingly based on your assigned work schedule and semester syllabus. While you are a student first, studying for exams is not an excuse to call off a shift.

Premium Dates: Any large, university sanctioned events affecting the operation are classified as “premium dates,” when allowed absences are limited. Points accrued during these instances will be doubled. Your management team will communicate the department identified premium dates with ample notice.

Points Forgiveness: Full time management team may “forgive” up to 4 points a semester once a student works a pre-approved, unit identified critical shifts. One shift would remove one point. Talk to a full-time manager for more information and approval.

Call off and Late Arrival Communication: If you are not able to work or arrive on time to your schedule shift, it is professional courtesy to notify your manager in a timely manner. To give our team enough time to adjust for your absence or late arrival, a 2-hour notice prior to the start of your shift is most ideal. Failure to provide adequate notice may result in corrective action points. Please confirm what call off method of communication is preferred with your management team.

Find a Replacement: It is each employee’s responsibility to find a replacement for a shift they plan on missing. For planned absences that are a challenge to get covered, Employees are encouraged to seek guidance from a scheduling manager. Scheduling conflicts should be resolved no later than 1 week from the conflict date. A request to "drop shift" on scheduling platform does not equate to shift coverage.

Trained Shift Pickup: A replacement for a shift pickup must be able to perform the same duties as the student employee they are replacing

Timekeeping and Pay Information

Timeclocks: Time worked must match your assigned work schedule and you cannot clock in/out early without the approval of a supervisor prior to the occurrence. To clock in and out, swipe your BuckID at your units’ timekeeping clock. Failure to consistently do so appropriately will result in disciplinary action or delay of pay. Employees are to be ready to work upon clocking in.

Once your shift has ended, you are to leave. You are not permitted to be in the work area if you are not clocked in. 

Timeclock Training: Review training documents and videos to familiarize yourself with how to use time clocks.

Pay Schedule Employees are paid bi-weekly, every other Friday according to the University's pay schedule. Provided all necessary forms are complete, you should receive your first paycheck no later than 26 days after the day you start working. Paystubs can be reviewed in Workday. You must verify and submit time in Workday on a weekly basis. Please report any errors to management in a timely manner to avoid delay in correct pay.

Direct Deposit: Students should enroll in direct deposit as soon as possible after their first day of employment for automatic deposit to your bank account at 12 a.m. on payday. In certain circumstances, it can take up to eight weeks for activation.

Paycard: Ohio State employees may receive pay through direct deposit to a paycard. The paycard is accepted at millions of ATMs and anywhere Visa is accepted.

OPERS: Employees, including student employees, of Ohio public institutions do not participate in federal social security system. Instead, Ohio State University employees participate in Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (OPERS). Student Employees have an option to participate or may be eligible to opt out. To participate, students are automatically enrolled without further action. To opt out, a student must submit exemption request within 30 days of hire date. More information on Student employee retirement benefits.

Schedule Management

SubItUp: is a cloud-based employee scheduling software used by several departments within The Ohio State University Office of Student Life. Unit managers will use SubItUp to create employee schedules and assign shifts, and employees can use the software to view their work schedules, as well as request shift changes and trades. As an employee at a unit that uses SubItUp, you already have an account. When you visit the SubItUp page or use the mobile app, log in using the SSO (Single Sign On) link and provide your university name.# and password when prompted.

If you rely on a screen reader or the keyboard for access to your computer, you will experience difficulty using this system. As the University works with SubItUp to improve accessibility, please contact your direct manager for information about accommodations, or write to dining@osu.edu for assistance in navigating and using this system. A member of our team will respond within 2 business days to assist you.

Credit Hours /Maximum Hours

Students employed with Dining Services are expected to maintain a minimum commitment of two regularly scheduled shifts per week, ensuring reliable coverage and consistent support for daily operations. 

Per week It is necessary to maintain full-time enrolled status as a student of The Ohio State University to be employed with Dining Services. Failure to do so could result in termination. If you are retained and fall below the required credit hours, you will be required to pay into Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS).

  • Domestic students are restricted to a maximum of 28 work hours per week during academic terms.
  • International students are only allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week.

Please reference the University policy on student employment for full terms of employment details. If you find yourself in the situation of being under-enrolled, please check with your management team regarding your options.

Breaks and Meals

If you work a shift of more than 8 hours, you must have a ½ hour break off the clock. Clock out for your break, and clock back in when you return to duty. Breaks may be available for students that work less than 8 hours, however, are at the discretion of management and approved if business allows.

Student employees working a shift are eligible to receive a complimentary meal. This equivalency may vary by operation. This meal is to be eaten prior to or after the employee’s scheduled shift (the employee must be clocked out). The meal will be prepared by another employee and a manager on duty will ring the employee meal into the register and process payment using the location’s meal swipe card.

Food Waste: Ohio State Dining Services maintains strict expectations regarding the handling of food waste to support campus sustainability goals and ensure compliance with health and safety standards. Staff are not permitted to take leftover or discarded food home for personal consumption; all excess food must remain within approved university recovery channels. Through established food donation programs and composting initiatives, edible surplus is redirected to community partners while non‑edible waste is processed responsibly to reduce waste impact. These procedures ensure consistency, fairness, and safety across all dining operations while supporting Ohio State’s commitment to responsible resource management. 

Uniform Standards

Your appearance matters. Our guests evaluate our service the moment they see us. Cleanliness, grooming, and professional attire directly shape their trust in our food, our safety standards, and our overall hospitality.

You will receive 1 Dining Services issued hat, 2 unit issued t-shirts, and a department name tag.

  • Name tag worn on shirt, right chest (opposite logo)
  • Dining issued hat and/or hair net to restrain hair
  • Clean unit-issued shirt, tucked in as appropriate (please see your location manager for details).
    • During cold winter months, Ohio State Dining Services branded apparel or a solid neutral colored (red, black, or gray) long sleeved shirt underneath uniform shirt is permitted. 
  • Dining Issued apron (determined by unit)
  • Jewelry is limited to plain wedding bands and small stud earrings.
    • Zero jewelry can be worn when working in the Culinary Production Kitchen
  • Full-length pants 
    • no shorts, capris, leggings or athletic and yoga pants of any kind 
    • must be clean and free of holes or tears
  • Closed-toe, low heeled shoes. Entire foot must be covered. Shoes without holes. 
    • non-slip soled shoes are recommended

University Catering: Uniform Guidance Event staff requirements: black long pants/ slacks that cover the ankles, black belt if pants have loops, polo style uniform shirt or black button-down logo uniform shirt, solid black shoes that cover entire foot (leather and no slip are preferable).

Guest Service

What makes a visit to a dining hall, a café, a coffee shop, or a diner an extraordinary experience? Receiving a good tasting, quality product? Yes! Getting in and out in a timely fashion? Of course! Enjoying your meal in a comfortable and clean environment? Definitely! But are these elements the makings of an extraordinary experience or are we just meeting a guest’s basic expectation? 

A large percentage of our guests are students. This is their home, we are their kitchen. True hospitality requires not only treating guests the way that we ourselves wish to be treated but prioritizing guests’ desires ahead of our own preferences. It is up to us to accommodate their needs and make them comfortable. This means that you are 100% invested and enthusiastic in providing service 100% of the time.

To move beyond a pleasant experience to an extraordinary experience requires each member of the team working together. Providing authentic service for all of our guests every time that they visit one of our locations is at the heart of the Dining Services’ mission.

How to provide Authentic Service: 

  • BE HERE NOW: Be present both physically and mentally.
  • BE PREPARED: Be presentable and ready to serve.
  • BE CONSISTENT: Building a connection with every guest, every time.
  • BE APPRECIATIVE: Convey gratitude for your role within the university and the guests who choose your location.
  • BE PERSONABLE: Be true to you and serve with a style and a smile

Throughout the duration of your employment, feedback about your commitment to Authentic Service will be provided by your management team, from customer service snapshots and other department reviews.

Dining Services measures authentic service in the following ways: 

  • At every guest interaction, staff will convey a sense of urgency to smile, greet and make eye contact
  • Staff will be responsible to keep service and work areas neat, clean and organized at all times
  • At all times, staff remains positive, busy and attentive
  • Every guest experience is unique and personalized to satisfy all needs
  • All interactions will end with an authentic and appreciative farewell. 

Rewards and Recognition

Department Wide Recognition: 

Dining Services hosts an annual Student Appreciation Banquet. Our most notable student employees from across campus are nominated to attend and mingle in a fun, informal atmosphere so we can show just how much we truly value your service.

Each of our Operations Managers is responsible for sending one employee to serve as the representative voice of his or her co-workers on the departmental Student Employee Council. The Senior Director, and often other leadership team members, meet regularly with this group to solicit feedback on many topics, including potential new products, general operational procedures and ideas for continuous improvement.

Dining Services utilizes feedback from our guests, an annual customer satisfaction survey, and a panel of secret shoppers, to determine how well we’re doing in serving our guests. In instances where employees are called out for outstanding service, we make every effort to publicly promote this good news – via bulletin board postings, word of-mouth and formal department communication.

Pay Increases: Student employees in Dining receive one time pay increases bi-annually at the start of fall and spring semester.  Pay increase eligibility is based on factors such as hire date, performance, dependability, and time served. The one-time increase is added to the pay rate of the role active at time of processing and not transferable when moving into a new employment role. 

Opportunities for Advancement: Our goal is to create an extraordinary student experience, with a focus on supporting learning and growth through developmental opportunities. Students are encouraged to be active partners in their professional and personal development. Take the initiative to ask questions, volunteer for projects, set a positive example for others, and ask supervisors about opportunities for improvement and additional training, including advancement opportunities to student leads and/or student managers. A promotion into a new role typically results in a change to the student's hourly rate.