Getting Paid
There are a number of steps that need to be completed in order to be paid for your work. ERS are here to support you all the way through the journey.
Right to Work
Before you can start working with the Employment & Recruitment Service or any other employer, you will be asked to show us evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. What you will need to provide depends on your nationality. This must be done before you are allowed to work.
We will contact you via email with further details and to arrange a convenient time to undertake your RTW check once we are made aware of your offer of employment.
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UK Citizens
UK citizens can use either:
▪ Passport; or
▪ Birth or adoption certificate together with any official document showing your full name and National Insurance number (e.g. a payslip or tax document)
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Citizens of any country in the European Economic Area or Switzerland
You must use the Home Office Online Checking Service to prove you have the Right to Work in the UK. To do this visit the Home Office website: https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work and request that confirmation of your status is emailed to recruit@lancaster.ac.uk prior to your appointment
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Citizens of all other countries
You must use the Home Office Online Checking Service to prove you have the Right to Work in the UK. To do this visit the Home Office website: https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work and request that confirmation of your status is emailed to recruit@lancaster.ac.uk prior to your appointment
Timesheets
Recording Your Hours
You will be given weekly online timesheets for each role that you undertake through ERS, to record the hours that you work. You can access these by logging on to the candidate portal. Please check the dates on the timesheet to ensure that you enter your hours onto the correct weekly timesheet. If you submit incorrect hours on your timesheet, get in touch with ERS as soon as you can.
Please refer to the ‘How to Fill in Your Timesheets’ document for further information on how to use your timesheets. This document can be found under the ‘My Files’ tab of the candidate portal.
Deadlines
Your weekly deadline for submitting timesheets is Monday 12pm, for the previous week’s timesheet.
If you are missing any timesheets, please get in touch with your hiring manager and ask them to request the timesheets from ERS. Please see the Payment Schedule document below for details of our monthly pay dates, and the cut-off dates for being paid within each month. You will be paid for any hours submitted on timesheets after the cut-off date, in the subsequent payroll month.
Pay Dates
Pay day is the 28th of each month. If the 28th falls over a weekend then the date is moved to the Friday before. It is really important to understand what you are getting paid for in this period and you can do that by referencing the paydates and deadline document that you can download below.
National Insurance
Your National Insurance (NI) number is your personal account number with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The number ensures that any tax you pay is accurately recorded against your name. Once you have a National Insurance number, it will not change and you will not have to apply for another one.
Accordion
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UK nationals
UK nationals will automatically receive a NI number, and do not need to apply for one.
You can find your National Insurance number:
- on your payslip
- on your P60
- on letters about your tax, pension or benefits
- in the National Insurance section of your personal tax account
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Non-UK nationals
Non-UK nationals who are planning to work in the UK will need to apply for a NI number. You can start work before you receive your NI number, as long as you are in the process of applying for one and have the right to work in the UK.
To apply for a NI number, you will need to ring the application line on 0800 141 2075. More information on NI numbers is available on the UK Government website: http://www.gov.uk/national-insurance
Once you have received your NI number, you will need to enter this onto your ERS profile by logging into our candidate portal through our website
P45s and Starter Checklists
P45s
A P45 is a certificate given to you when you leave employment. It has the details of your tax code, your total pay, and any tax you have paid in that year.
If you have a P45 from a previous job, please hand this in to us at the start of your employment with ERS so that your tax code remains the same. The P45 must be from the most recent job that you left, and from within the current tax year.
When you leave us, or if you are not paid by us for three consecutive months then our payroll provider will generate a P45 form for you and we will upload this to your profile. We will email you when this happens.
Starter Checklists
If you don’t have an up-to-date P45, or are currently employed elsewhere, then you must fill in a Starter Checklist form. This form provides your employer with the details needed to put you on the correct tax code. If you don’t submit a starter checklist or P45, you will be taxed at the basic rate.
The Starter Checklist form will be available to you through our candidate portal, once you receive an offer of work through ERS.
Leaving ERS for a New Job
If you have got a new job with another employer you will need to tell us so we can request a P45 form for you. You will be asked to give this form to your new employer so your tax code can be set up correctly to avoid overpayment of income tax.
You can request your P45 either by emailing us at recruit@lancaster.ac.uk or by calling us on 01524 510853. You will need to give us your full name and your final date of work with us.
Once we have requested your P45 it can take up to six weeks to arrive, so please ensure you submit your request as soon as possible. When we receive your P45 we will upload it to the ‘My Files’ section on your portal on our website, and we will email you confirmation when this has been done.
Tax
Your tax code is used by our payroll provider to calculate how much tax should be deducted from your pay.
If you have not provided ERS with your P45 or Starter Checklist, you may be on the wrong tax code, and may pay too much tax.
To correct your tax code and refund any tax you have over-paid, you will need to contact HMRC by ringing 0300 200 3300. You will need to quote your date of birth, NI number, and our employer reference number: 475/WBO8299.
HMRC may e-mail you to let you know that your tax code has changed, or that your annual tax summary is available, but no other details will be provided in the e-mail. Other than this, HMRC will only contact you via telephone or post. Delete any emails from anyone claiming to be from HMRC. You can find out more about genuine HMRC e-mails.
Pensions
Automatic enrolment
You will be auto enrolled into our Group Stakeholder Pension Scheme with Legal and General, if you meet the following requirements:
- You are paid £833 in a payroll month
- You are 22 or over
- You are under the state retirement age
If you are enrolled into our pension scheme, you will contribute 5% of your monthly pay to your pension pot, and Lancaster University will contribute 3%.
Opting in or out
Even if you are not auto enrolled, you may join the pension scheme if you wish. You may also opt out of the pension scheme of you have been auto enrolled.
For guidance on opting out of or into the pension scheme, please see our pension scheme information document, which will be available to download from the ‘files’ tab of your ERS account.
