Workforce Support Team | Workforce Support Team |
SOP-DE-WFS People OPS-CC-V: | Number of Reviews: 4 |
Approvers: Olga Memmer | Date of Review: 30.07.2026 |
INTRODUCTION
This procedure aims to clarify how to specifically process visa-related contract changes when an employee with a student permit graduates from university and needs a contract change to Part-time from Working Student. The standard applies only to the employees who are currently Ops Associates, Riders, and Ops Associates Plus.
Guidelines and Policies
The Workforce Support team processes contract changes only for active employees who have valid documents.
This specific contract change process is for employees with student permits who graduate from the university.
A possible contract change would be WS to TZ (from Working Student to Part-time).
The contract change after graduating from the university to Part-time same hours can only be processed with approval from the Area Manager
In case an employee requests to increase working hours, their respective Hub manager must request on their behalf via Zendesk and employee must submit new work permit type allowing them to work more hours. If the employee has only applied and not received a new physical visa, we can not increase hours yet.
The contract change is issued according to standard procedure and using the Contract changes master sheet.
The contract change is sent via DocuSign.
The deadline of the 23rd for processing contract changes to Part-time, same hours does not apply. The start date of the contract change to Part-time should be the first day of the month after the matriculation expiration month.
Example 1: On 28. February 2026 employee informs about the exmatriculation dated 15. December 2025, submits the exmatriculation certificate, new visa type, or visa appointment confirmation. The Workforce Support team processes the contract change to Part-time, same hours retroactively 01. January 2026.
Example 2: On 28. February 2026 employee informs about the exmatriculation dated 15. February 2026, submit the exmatriculation certificate, new visa type, or visa appointment confirmation. The Workforce Support team processes the contract change to Part-time same hours, effectively 01. March 2026.
The employee’s signed original contract (Fountain) and any existing contract changes (DocuSign) must be checked while entering the data and entered correctly.
Due to SAP-Quinyx integration, contract changes we input in SAP except retroactive changes trigger an update on Quinyx.
* * * * *
Useful Tools
ZenDesk
Fountain
DocuSign
SAP
Quinyx
* * * * *
Process Flowchart
* * * * *
Description of Process (Step-by-Step)
0. Introduction:
Once the employee graduates from the university, they need to submit an exmatriculation and a new visa type. In case the employee does not have yet a new visa type, visa appointment confirmation must be submitted. Once an employee loses student status, their employment type must be changed to Part-time as they are no longer eligible for Working student benefits such as paying less taxes and social security contributions.
We get notified about Exmatrikulations usually in the following scenarios. While many cases are clear cut with the employee providing both the Exmatrikulation and Job Seeker application, often it is not always as clear cut. For Example:
The employee reaches out with only a Job Seeker application or new Job Seeker visa and they currently have a Working Student Contract.
The employee reaches out with an Exmatrikulation document but no new Job Seeker Visa or application.
The employee reaches out with both an Exmatrikulation and Job Seeker Visa.
The employee reaches out merely saying they finished studies but doesn´t provide documents.
Hub Managers reach out and request a contract changes to increase employees' weekly hours via Zendesk and state the employee finished studies.
To process these cases, we need first to open the request in Zendesk, and then we must check the employee status and documentation in both SAP, WEP/Fountain. This will help give a clear view of the employee's current visa status and contract type.
The Workforce Support team can check the employee’s status in the SAP employee’s profile under “Employment Information” (check how to here). If the employee is still active, no termination or resignation flows are displayed as well as no exit date is approved, the Workforce Support Team will proceed by checking the employee’s documentation on Fountain.
In Fountain Workforce Support team will verify the validity of the ID or Visa. Please remember that a Student Visa is valid only if the employee provides a matriculation certificate. Here you can check all kinds of visas and the relative possible contract change.
In case of exmatriculation, we need to receive an exmatriculation certificate and a new visa type or visa appointment confirmation.
We must have both the Exmatrikulation and the Visa Application/New Visa Type to keep the employee unpaused during this process. If one is missing, employee should have their account paused under the regular process until both are received. Once both documents are received and the employee gives both documents, please send the employee the following. Do not close the ticket until both are received. If employee is refusing to answer, please remember that pausing must occur. After full reception of documents:
Use macro [VISA Management] DE > EN> Finished studies explanation.
This updates the employee regarding the next steps and opens a workflow with the Area Manager. Please input the text in the box giving the AM further information on the Exmatrikulation Date, Employee´s Person ID, the employee´s Hub, and asks the AM if they would like to keep or terminate the employee.
Two Options Then Follow:
AM wishes to terminate the contract. Please leave a note detailing such, make sure Fountain is updated with the Exmatrikulation documents, etc. and forward the ticket to People Ops as they will process a Termination. Do not inform employee in advance of this forwarding, the reason for termination will be sent to the employee directly.
AM wishes to keep employee and process a Contract Change. If all documents are recollected, please process the contract change to Part-time if needed using the instructions detailed in the Contract Changes - Blue Collar SOP. Please inform directly the employee using macro DE > EN > Contract change NO LONGER STUDENT. Do not close the ticket until the employee signs the new Contract and SAP is updated.
If the contract change case came up during the certificates recollection process, the agent must tick column R (Contract change performed) in Visa Sheet - Blue Collar
To process the change the Workforce Support Team will input the employee ID in the Contract change master sheet and fill in the fields marked as “manually”.
Workforce Support Team will send the contracts and check daily if they were signed. If the contract has not been signed, Workforce Support team will write the Hub Manager and request an update. As soon as a contract is signed, the Workforce Support Team will update SAP.
Finally, the ticket will be closed. Note: add internal notes when closing the ticket. Internal notes always help your fellow agents, managers, and yourself if you have to review the case in the future.
Contract types and corresponding hours eligible for exmatriculated employees:
Part-time: 12 hours
Part-time: 24 hours
Part-time: 32 hours
1. Contract Changes Preparation, Sendout, and Tracking
In’Step1_Sendout’ tab, add the employee ID, Date, and Agent Name (columns A-C) for the change you want to perform, select what type of change you are performing (column X), and add the respective dates (column T-W); Orange columns should be the ones to change. Check column ‘Explanation on what to fill’ when in doubt about what needs to be changed.
After filling in the information for the contract changes you want to perform, check in the column ‘Error Message - Please check’ if there are any issues. Cases with issues will turn red in column A. Add the ticket number.
The process then branches. See the two seperate branches below.
For Junior Employees/Employees not assigned Contract Change Generation:
-This is the end of the journey after updating with the steps above. Please just remember to keep an eye on Docusign if the signature was received by searching. Further instructions about this process can be found in this page.
For More Senior Employees/Employees Assigned to Contract Change Generation:
-You find all the steps in this scribe:Check column AH, and tick the box ‘Create DocuSign template?’ (column AF). Go to the tab ‘docusign_template’, and validate populated data. If accurate, prepare CVS for bulk upload and send the contracts.
After sending the contract changes, go back to the tab ‘Step1_Sendout’, and click on the ‘Update’ box on top of the sheet. Cases for which you send the contract change will be moved automatically to the tab ‘Step2_Tobechecked’
On the tab ‘Step2_Tobechecked’, columns A & B will get automatically populated with signature status and respective links to the signed document (tick in column A means the employee has signed the contract change.
Daily, you can check column E ‘Status’ to know what actions need to be taken so the contract change can be considered as done. Please fill in C and D when you update SAP/ Quinyx for the cases that have signed the contract.
NOTE: to guarantee updated data, the SAP report that is linked to the contract change master sheet needs to be updated at least two times per week.
Please check this scribe.
2. How To Inform Payroll About Retroactive Changes:
In case of a retroactive contract change to Part-time, WFS People Services must inform Payroll about the change in SAP using Rückwirkende Änderungen - Payroll sheet, tab 2023 Retroactive Changes (not Termis or Hires).
Be aware, that retroactive changes cannot be entered during the first week of every month unless approved by Payroll.
For the Payroll cut deadlines please refer to the team lead or senior.
3. How To Update SAP:
3.1 Contractual hours change -
A contractual hours change can be approved for any employee having valid documentation.
Note: We do not issue contracts> 20 hours for employees on Student Visa.
For employees on a Student Visa, we issue Working Student contracts.A contractual hours change is reflected on SAP as a “Job change”.
3.2 Type changes -
A contractual change from Working Student to Part-time (same hours) can be issued only for employees having valid documentation or visa appointment to change visa type and a valid exmatriculation certificate.
4. How To Update Quinyx:
This step is used only in retroactive changes.
Scribe how to updatethe agreement retroactively in Quinyx.
5. Documentation - Contract Change Uploads: Each signed contract must be uploaded to SAP and shared drive with PO. Please check How to upload a contract change in SAP.
* * * * *
Macros and Magical Shortcuts
Macros to be used in ZenDesk:
“[VISA Management] DE > EN> Finished studies explanation” - explanation of next steps when an employee finishes studies. This triggers a workflow to update the AM and ask for permission.
“DE > EN > Contract change NO LONGER STUDENT” - information of contract change to Part-time.
Magical shortcuts:
ccv - contract change because visa
ccc - Contract change completed
ZenDesk contact reasons
People Ops > Change Request > Contract type/ hours
* * * * *
FAQ's and SOP's
Questions | Answers |
What to do if an employee who exmatriculated has an MJ contract? | We do not process a contract change to Part-time and leave it how it is. These cases are extremely rare as Flink no longer offers MJ contracts. |
What to do if an employee updates about exmatriculation longer than 3 months ago? | Check the date on the Exmatrikulation vs the date on the Job Seeker Application. If the employee got the confirmation from the university late, as long as they immediately applied for a Job Seeker visa after this updated document (check issue of document date), the normal process can be followed for Exmatrikulation cases as detailed in this SOP. |
* * * * *
Review history
Number of Reviews | Date | Changes |
1 | 12.03.2024 |
|
2 | 20.03.2024 |
|
3 | 02.05.2024 |
|
4 | 30.07.2026 | The contract change after graduating from the university to Part-time same hours can be processed by the Workforce Support team without approval from the Hub manager- Removed, this information is incorrect. |