I'm not being paid at my community college teaching job

[Chomskyite]

Here's the situation. I'm wondering if this happening in other workplaces, if this might be a pattern that's emerging out there.

I'm teaching three summer courses. They each meet a total of five hours a week. The campus is about 35 miles down the interstate from me.

I knew going in that I wouldn't get paid for a month. Like most adjunct instuctors, I don't even live month-to-month. If I did, I'd think myself rich.

I was supposed to be paid Friday. But no paper check showed up. Nothing in my office cubbyhole. No electronic payment. Nothing in my home mailbox.

Their office is telling me the check was mailed to my HOUSE this past Wednesday.

Here's the thing. If the check is lost, stolen, etc. IT'LL TAKE TEN DAYS to get another check. I'm down to my last few dollars. There's no way I can afford gas to get down there the end of the week if I'm not paid.

So I told my students by email I wouldn't be able to meet them tonight and tomorrow morning, but that if my check arrives I will resume classes.

I wish they didn't have to pay the penalty (actually, they're probably celebrating) but I don't know what else to do.

The dean did agree not to replace me till tomorrow afternoon.

[The Flaming Red Head]

1. There's always the bus

My friends ride it all the time or cash a check where they'll hold it a couple of days.

[The Flaming Red Head]

4. or plasma the bank

one on Plank road and one around LSU. I think it's 20 dollars first donation. Hey, I used to do it, and work, and went to school.

[Chomskyite]

7. Ooof. I'm trying to go incognito.

Folks've been fired for talking about jobs too specifically on here.

I realize people can tell where I am, though.

It's not IN the city, though. Let's get that straight. I don't want to malign any school that doesn't deserve it.

[The Flaming Red Head]

8. They won't fire you

where else will they find someone to work for free?

[Chomskyite]

9. Hah . . . good point

I think I probably made a few of them mad though. So I'm not counting on anything.

[Chomskyite]

5. As much as I wish I could ride a bus

. . . there's no route down there.

[amazona]

2. a common practice apparently

I have a friend who teaches at community college and he has waited up to three or four months to get paid -- once that time span included Christmas so they didn't even have food for Christmas other than what friends could give them. Unfortunately he doesn't have another source of income so he has to put up with it. They don't make much of an effort to pretend his check was stolen, they just claim that they had some computer problems and the check was never cut, but it's the same deal. Basically, they don't have the means to pay people on time. If more teachers would refuse to teach when not paid, I assume they would cough the money up faster.

I've never seen it end well where people keep working after missing a paycheck. When the business declares bankruptcy, you don't get paid ever -- you go way down on the list of creditors.

So my thought would be to try to seek new sources of income. I wish my friend had more options but he has a rather bad past (drug problems) that apparently prevents him from getting better employment. :-(

[Chomskyite]

6. I kind of thought so

I've never before heard of any ten-day policy like this one between stopping a check and cutting the new one.

I'm no accountant, far from it. I screwed up on this year's taxes.

But this is ringing alarm bells even with me.

[RebelYell]

10. They'd rather wait 10 days......

.......and hope it shows up in your mailbox than re-issue a check and have the bank charge them $25 for a stop payment. The post office screws up more than you know.

If it gets really bad, threaten them with the Wage and Hour commission. If you call them, the Feds will come down hard on them for illegally holding your pay. Probably would get you fired for some reason or another, though.

[TNDemo]

3. Is the bus even a choice?

Ask the school to give you an advance on your check and they can take it out of the next check. Maybe that will work.

[Nikia]

11. Maybe, I could have a worse job

They personally hand us our paychecks. If they didn't pay us, very few people would show up at work. Our company has been known to give advances as well. If someone loses their check or has a problem with it, a new check is issued within hours.

[Chomskyite]

12. The resolution

They decided to consider the check lost and write me a check from accounts payable tomorrow. So I am going to start back teaching. I had told them I would not be able to afford to even get down there.

I don't know whether it was because I played hardball with them or not. Hard to know whether it's one of those lessons learned deals.