Student earnings
Unpaid and volunteer work terms
The underlying principle in all cases at the University of Waterloo, which is inherent in accreditation through the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education, is that students must receive some substantive remuneration for their co-op work. Nevertheless, rare or unusual circumstances may warrant a decision to approve an unpaid co-op job for credit.
Student earnings
You determine the salary for your co-op student. Co-operative Education provides some figures that represent the most recent one-year collection of student earnings data (dollars per 37.5 hours a week). For U.S. salary guidance, please contact your account manager.
- Hourly earnings information
- Weekly earnings information
- Earnings information for Chartered Accounting
- Federal Public Service Rates of pay for university students
Vacation, statutory holiday, and overtime pay
According to the Ontario Employment Standards Act, Ontario employers are not required to provide co-op students with vacation pay, statutory holiday pay, or overtime pay, although most include compensation for these as part of the student's salary.
The Canada Labour Code states students are to receive time off on statutory holidays if they are employed by an industry under federal jurisdiction such as banks, airlines, railways, television stations, and others.
Your co-op student may request to take off a few days during the work term. Although you are not required to provide vacation days, you may negotiate these with your student if you wish.
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board coverage
Most Ontario employers are required to include co-op students (both paid and unpaid), in their Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage.
Is your student working for you in a Co-op Education approved unpaid job? If so, please contact our University Relations Administrator, Judi Whitfield, to notify Waterloo of volunteer co-op work so that your student is covered by the WSIB.
