Those working the first half of The King’s Affair will have to pay a reduced entry fee as well as offering their labour in order to access the second half of the event.

In previous years, the annual May Week event at King’s College has given students access to the second half of the night in exchange for working an earlier shift with no hourly pay.

In an email sent to students who had applied to work at the event on Thursday (05/03), the King’s Affair committee explained that this year, those working the first shift would have to pay £37.50 as well as working to access the remainder of the event. This is on top of a £30 deposit, which is fully refunded if workers abide by the terms of their contract.

The standard ticket price for the whole event is £179, or £119 for King’s members. Students at the College who apply to work shift one will therefore only have to pay an entry fee of £7.50.

One student who applied to work shift one told Varsity: “I understand the sentiment and will admit that value-wise it’s not extortionate, but I still think it’s a bit of a piss-take to essentially ask us to pay to work. On top of that, it’s frustrating that they’ve told us this after the initial application deadline. On both counts it just feels inconsiderate.”

In their email, the event committee acknowledged that “these arrangements may differ from what some of you expected,” and gave students the opportunity to change their shift or withdraw their application. The committee justified the decision by arguing that the reduced fee “represents substantial value relative to the equivalent portion of a full ticket”.

Shift one runs from 20:30 to 00:30, after which workers are admitted as guests for the remainder of the event, with the same entitlements as any other ticket holder. Shift two runs from 00:30 to the end of The King’s Affair at 05:00.

Workers of shift two receive £13 an hour but no access to the event. Students can only choose one of the shifts, except for area supervisors, who work the entire night.

Another student who applied to work at The King’s Affair told Varsity: “I think telling applicants after they have applied to work that they will still need to pay money to attend the second half of the ball is a manipulative tactic by King’s.

“This is particularly the case considering that a big attraction factor for people applying to work May Balls is getting to attend the second half for free, and the College knows that. It also feels morally problematic to ask students to effectively pay the college for them to work the event – especially because King’s knows that some people will still do it.”

A third student commented: “It’s just frankly disappointing because people who apply to work May Balls [typically] apply because they can’t afford to go […] it’s alienating people of lower incomes even further than they already are at this University.”

In response, the event’s co-chairs told Varsity: “The King’s Affair prides itself on providing an ethical, moral and sustainable event. Our workers are an integral part of delivering the event on the night, and we are incredibly grateful for their time and dedication each year.

“Previous working arrangements, which had wage disparities between different shifts, have been revised to be more equitable and transparent. Shift One and Shift Two workers receive the same hourly rate of pay for the same number of hours; no workers are being asked to pay to work.”

The co-chairs continued: “It has always been the case that Shift One workers have the opportunity to attend part of the event, whereas Shift Two workers do not, as they work through the end of the event. All Shift One workers have been given the opportunity to change to Shift Two should they wish.

“We understand that some applicants may have been disappointed by the timing of the announcement of this new system, and we apologise for not communicating this change sooner. The King’s Affair will always endeavour, in line with our ethos, to be a fair and inclusive event; every decision made prioritises the best interests of our guests, workers, and the College community that we represent.”

The King’s Affair describes itself as an “antidote to the monotony of traditional May Balls,” as students wear elaborate costumes instead of formal attire. This year’s event is scheduled for Wednesday 26 June, and has the theme of ‘Anthropocene’ – the current geological age in which humans have the greatest impact on the environment.

The event’s website reads: “Set in a distant, unspecified future, the King’s of today is history. The home computer is but plastic, the iPhone but metal.”