Is an employment agreement needed to hire a student part-time?

The best practice is to have a written record of the employment agreement. This record can be as simple as an email to the student that outlines the compensation, duration, and scope of work, as well as a statement that the agreement can be terminated if the terms are not met. When hiring a registered graduate student, we advise that the duration of employment is the same length as the semester during which they will be working.