Student employment, wellbeing, and employee capital: students’ union perspectives on supporting a Gen Z workforce

Abstract

Students in the United Kingdom are increasingly engaging in paid term-time employment, raising concerns about its negative impact on academic performance and wellbeing. When effectively balanced with academic studies, supportive employment can be theorised as increasing employee resources and wellbeing. Students who work can develop graduate capital and have reported increased satisfaction and an improved university experience. This research explores students’ union perspectives on supporting young employees and adapting to workforce change. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with professional staff and a student officer working in four students’ unions in the South of England. Employee needs and employer support were analysed thematically using graduate capital as a theoretical framework. Notable changes in the cohorts of students entering post-COVID employment were identified, with Human Resource Management practices adapted to meet emerging workforce needs. Findings show how employee capital can be developed for mutual benefit through entry-level term-time work, by incorporating tailored wellbeing conversations, peer mentoring, teamworking structures, clear expectations, and employee feedback mechanisms. This article positions supportive employment as a wellbeing resource and offers insights for employers navigating multigenerational workforces. It additionally proposes a new theoretical positioning of students’ union employment within universities’ integrated approaches to supporting student mental health.

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