Vacancy advertising terms for employers

Before posting an opportunity, please check that the academic requirements of the position can be met by the degree courses provided by University of Birmingham. Organisations can find a list of our Colleges and Schools on our University website.

Careers Network has created these terms to support organisations in advertising relevant opportunities to our students and graduates.

Careers Network advertises opportunities through our online vacancies board, Careers Connect.

The organisation must first register before posting opportunities. Please check with the Employer Relations Team that the organisation is not already registered.

Vacancy Advertising Terms

Please note by advertising with Careers Network the organisation is agreeing to the below terms.

The organisation understands that:

1.1. Careers Network reserve the right not to advertise opportunities that Careers Network think are unsuitable for University of Birmingham students and graduates. The decision of University of Birmingham Careers Network is final.

1.2. Uploading the organisation’s vacancy to Careers Connect does not guarantee views of, or applications to the organisation’s vacancy.

1.3. Uploading the organisation’s vacancy to Careers Connect is a mechanism to promote the organisation’s scheme or vacancy. It is not a recruitment service of receiving applications, shortlisting or interviewing candidates.

1.4. Careers Connect is a ‘self-serve’ vacancy advertising service. Careers Network do not upload opportunities on behalf of companies.

1.5. Careers Connect cannot advertise events, insight days or competitions, unless prior agreement has been sought via recruiters@contacts.bham.ac.uk. Scholarships and training will only be advertised if a permanent position is guaranteed following the training or scholarship.

2. To register on Careers Connect, the organisation must:

2.1. Include a website address to a working website in English, contact name and organisation email address in the organisation registration.

2.2. Submit an organisation for approval using an organisational email address. We will not accept generic email addresses including but not limited to Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo.

2.3. Be able to provide the organisation’s registration and/or VAT registration number upon request.

2.4. Only post one vacancy if it is a TEFL opportunity, as multiple opportunities can be included within the one post. TEFL vacancies must come under “All degree disciplines” rather than listing multiple degree programmes and must come under the sector “Education and Teaching”.

2.5. Accept that we reserve the right to reject those we do not consider to be in the best interest of our students and graduates.

3. The opportunity the organisation is advertising must:

3.1. Be written in English. Careers Network cannot advertise any opportunity where Careers Network are unable to confirm the content.

3.2. Disclose the name of client, if advertising on behalf of another organisation.

3.3. Not ask our students/graduates to undertake an illegal activity in the UK or internationally.

3.4. Be based on a skills set which students/graduates can use with more than one client for any self-employment or freelance roles. The decision of Careers Network Internships team is final.

4. The opportunity the organisation is advertising must not:

4.1. Discriminate against candidates on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by law.

4.2. Require our current international students (from outside the EU) to work more than 20 hours per week in term time (international students can work full time during vacation periods) or more than 10 hours per week during term time depending on when their immigration application was made. Further details can be found at www.ukcisa.org.uk.

4.3. Require our students/graduates to work in a private residential address that is not their own.

4.4. Require our students/graduates to provide their own equipment to undertake the role e.g. tablets, laptops, recording or photographic equipment.

4.5. Require our students/graduates to pay any form of ‘desk fee’ or similar arrangement.

4.6. Involve students/graduates in writing academic coursework for use by other students.

4.7. Pay solely on a commission basis or less than the National Minimum Wage, excluding the exemptions set overleaf.

4.8. Pay solely in kind which include but not limited to: alcohol, food, tickets or event attendance.

4.9. Be related to the Tobacco industry including vaping companies.

5. The organisation agrees to the following salary/wage requirements for transparency with our students/graduates:

5.1. Each vacancy uploaded to Careers Connect will have a salary range listed. Vacancies listing salaries as competitive or ‘Contact organisation directly’ may be rejected.

5.2. Paid opportunities should pay the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage, although Careers Network recommend employers pay salaries reflecting the level of work our students/graduates are undertaking. For details of National Minimum Wage rates visit the go.uk website.

5.3. All unpaid opportunities which do not form a contract of employment or a worker relationship (and are not part of a placement year as part of a course), including volunteering, are exempt from NMW and will only be advertised if they are no longer than 20 working days within a 10-week period on a part-time basis or no longer than 4 weeks on a full-time basis. For details of employment rights for interns visit the gov.uk website.

5.4. It is the responsibility of the organisation to ensure that unpaid work experience or volunteering opportunities are exempt from NMW. It is good practice to offer reimbursement of all out-of-pocket expenses for costs incurred whilst volunteering, e.g. travel and lunch. This reimbursement should be made clear in the Careers Connect advertisement.

5.5. Any work experience opportunities requiring a financial payment from students are currently considered outside these terms. These opportunities are not guaranteed to be advertised and will be dealt with on a case by case basis by the Careers Network Internships and Work Experience team (internships@contacts.bham.ac.uk). If the organisation opportunities are accepted to be advertised on our database, Careers Network will add a disclaimer making our students/graduates aware of this and advising our students undertake their own research into the advertised opportunity. These terms also apply to event bookings such as Careers Fairs and Employer led events.

6. The organisation agrees to the following health and safety requirements:

6.1. The organisation has valid:

6.1.1. Employers Liability and Public Liability Insurance (covering the advertised opportunity, be that paid or unpaid)

6.1.2. Health and Safety policy (including records of accidents and incidents)

6.1.3. Risk Assessments

6.1.4. Equal Opportunities policy

6.2 The organisation will provide our students/graduates with health and safety training appropriate to the location/s they will be working/volunteering in with the organisation.

6.3 The organisation provides our students/graduates with appropriate working conditions which adhere to current Government guidelines surrounding COVID-19 ensuring premises and working practices are COVID safe.

6.4 If the opportunity the organisation is advertising requires our students/graduates to encounter vulnerable client groups the organisation must have health and safety procedures and risk assessments in place to ensure they are protected.

6.5 In the instances where a virtual internship will be undertaken at a student’s private address, the organisation must ensure that they provide any relevant insurance and/or specific equipment required.

Careers Network works within, and expects employers advertising with us to work within, the Code of Best Practice in Graduate Recruitment as agreed by AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services).

The decision of Careers Network to advertise a vacancy or approve an organisation is final and Careers Network reserves the right to reject those we do not consider to be in the best interest of our students and graduates.