Furloughs have now been in place for over 6 weeks, and we are concerned that our members are working at full capacity and actually not taking 20% of their work off their plate.
- DO NOT WORK MORE THAN 32 HOURS A WEEK. As furloughs continue, it is very important that we show the University how valuable this 20% loss of labor is to our community. In order to document what is going undone and the adverse effects of this to students and colleagues, we are asking you to submit these impacts using this google form. This can be filled out anytime throughout the course of our furlough and is information we will share with admin. We will monitor the form and anonymity will be protected. This is a PSU-AAUP internal document.
- MAKE THE UNIVERSITY FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THE FURLOUGH. We know you are concerned about your students and colleagues and have the inclination to do your best possible to serve them. Regardless: you are putting your own and your colleagues’ jobs in peril if you work at 100% time (or more!). You are also contributing to creating an unsustainable work environment for yourself and others, and this will result in an overall degradation of service long-term for those students and colleagues whom you want to serve. You may have seen that some employees in HR are returning from furloughs: because it was clear that their furlough was having a negative impact on university functioning. If you are furloughed and working over 80% time -- or you are not furloughed but you are taking on the typical work of a furloughed individual -- then you are showing the University administration that full staffing is not necessary for functioning, and that they should reduce staffing levels permanently. In other words: if your supervisor thinks you can do all of your work at 80% of your normal pay: what does that portend for your future employment post furlough? Please consider this seriously. Take furlough days off fully, do not work overtime during your working days, and do not complete work not being done by your colleagues. Again: the University must feel your/our absence. AAUP has put into place agreements that ensure that you cannot be reviewed negatively as a result of work not performed due to mandatory furloughs. Please contact us if you have any concerns about your supervisor requiring an unrealistic amount of work during the furlough period.
- COLLECT STORIES ABOUT FURLOUGH IMPACTS. Stories from students, faculty, and staff who are affected by your furlough can provide compelling evidence for the value of your job. You can help AAUP collect stories directly from impacted individuals by adding this survey link to your email signature, out of office reply, and/or otherwise sharing with those who you know you are not able to fully serve while abiding by the furlough: https://forms.gle/3Mfd33yXiyvFJSkH7