Worked Up

The past few days I have been a bit worked up about my job. Sorry in advance for the length of my post. I am really just complaining.

As an adjunct faculty member, I get almost no benefits. The one benefit that I get is the fact that I am allowed to miss the equivalent of one week's worth of classes in the semester without it affecting my income. This means that I actually get some sick leave, but it does not carry over from one semester to the next.

Last fall, I taught classes on Tuesdays and Thursday, so I was able to miss 2 days worth of classes. In February 2008 Justin and I planned our November vacation to Florida which caused me to miss one day of classes. At the time, we weren't concerned about it.

What we didn't plan for was that Justin would end up having to have major surgery on the first day of school last fall. Because I stayed at the hospital all night with Justin I couldn't teach my classes the next day and had to get a sub. It did worry me a little that I had used all my sick time for the semester for instances when I wasn't sick, but I decided that it would be ok and that I wouldn't get sick.

But I did get sick. After our trip to Florida, we both came down with nasty colds. Because I had no sick time left, I taught sick. I made it to the last week of classes (the week before finals) and was so glad that I had made it through the semester without having to miss more class than I was able to be paid for.

But on the last day of classes (a Friday) my water broke. That day, I was scheduled to sub three classes - two 1 hour classes that were back to back, then an hour break and then another class that met for a hour and forty minutes. Then I had another hour break before the little baby shower that was being thrown for me at the school. The next week, I had one final to give on Tuesday and 2 finals to give on Thursday.

I didn't realize that I was actually leaking amniotic all morning that Friday, afterall Jacob wasn't due for seven and a half weeks. So, even though I knew something was wrong I went to school anyway. Luckily the classes I was subbing were only taking exams. I sat through the first two classes and kept IMing people online about what was happening. I realized that I could not stay at the school for the last class or for my party.

I left all the exams in the teacher's box and on my way out to my car, I called the division office to let them know I couldn't sub that last class. I was told not to worry about it and to let them know if I needed anything.

Once Justin got me to the hospital we learned that my water had in fact broken and that I would be staying in the hospital until Jacob was born. I called the school and let them know that I would need subs to give my finals for me the next week. I had already written the finals and they were at the Copy Center at the school. In fact, I had planned to pick them up that day.

I received an email the next Monday letting me know that because I had already used all my sick leave, I was going to have to take leave without pay for finals week. At that time, I really didn't care - I just wanted Jacob to arrive safely.

Someone subbed my finals and my mom (who was a lifesaver for us) picked all the exams up for me at the school and I spent my bedrest time grading finals, calculating final grades, entering grades into the school's system and making sure that everything was taken care of for my classes.

When I got my last paycheck for the semester, I was paid in full. I was not docked anything for missing finals week. But, I also wasn't paid for the 2 classes I ended up subbing on that Friday. I thought that maybe since I had been working so hard from the hospital, they decided that instead of docking my pay for 6 hours worth of finals, they just decided not to pay me for 2 hours worth of subbing.

I didn't care.

But then I got another paycheck January 15th. It covered the 2 hours of subbing. Hmmm. Maybe they looked at my case, the fact that in the 5 semesters and 2 summers that I had worked there I had rarely used all my sick time, and decided not to process my time during finals week as leave without pay. Afterall, I worked hard that week.

Just a few days ago, I received an email from someone in the payroll department that I had a LWOP outstanding from last fall and that my next paycheck would be docked $230 to make up for it. By the way, now that I am only teaching one class I am only paid $240 (gross) per paycheck.

Let me say that if they had docked my pay at the end of last semester, I wouldn't have complained. I would have just accepted it. But now, I don't agree with being docked that much.

As a part-time faculty member I am paid about $38 per hour. But I am only paid for the time in class, I am not paid for planning lectures, writing exams, grading exams, assigning homework, responding to students' emails, etc. This is why the hourly payrate is so high.

However, when I substitute for someone, I am paid at the rate of about $22 an hour. The discrepancy is because the sub doesn't have all the responsibility that the actual instructor has.

My subbed were paid $22 an hour for covering my finals for me. I graded all the finals and took care of everything that had to be taken care of (from a hospital bed, might I add). The school is docking me at the rate of $38 an hour. They are making $16 an hour from my unfortunate circumstance.

I have complained. I won't just sit and let this happen. I think it is ridiculous. I think I should only be docked what they paid the subs.

My complaints have now been sent to the dean.

I'm hoping for some good news either today or tomorrow.