ARE YOU WORKING ON A GEO CONTRACT THIS SUMMER?

ARE YOU HAVING PAY ISSUES?

DO YOU WANT JUSTICE IN THE WORKPLACE?

If you answered YES to any of the above, then please read below…

It has come to our attention that many of our members are having pay issues with their summer employment contracts.   We find this situation to be unacceptable, as it is the University’s legal (and ethical) obligation to provide pay for work in a timely manner.

If this pay issue is affecting you, or someone you know, please do the following:

 

1.  SPEAK OUT!!

Please email us ASAP at geo@external.umass.edu!  We want to know just how many of our members are being affected by this problem, so we can address it with the University directly.  The more info we have, the better, so please provide us with:

  • YOUR NAME & STUDENT #
  • CONTRACT START & END DATES
  • WORK DEPARTMENT
  • HOURS PER WEEK
  • HOURLY RATE

 

2.  CLAIM THE EMERGENCY PAY YOU DESERVE!!

If you have not yet been paid for any summer work, you are entitled to emergency pay from Human Resources.  Emergency pay is 70% of the total amount that is owed to you, and they (usually) process these applications quickly, within 2 days.

According to HR policy, applications for emergency pay must be submitted by the ’employing department’.  That means you must ask your work department to contact HR directly and to file an application on your behalf.  To expedite the process, you can offer your department this info:

Human Resources: 325 Whitmore (Benefits, Salary Administration, & Payroll Office), Phone number: 545-0380.

The Graduate School will also give “loans” for the remaining amount, if need be, but most people go for the 70% till the next pay period (which is Friday, July 10th, still a long ways away).

 

3.  SPREAD THE WORD!!

Please talk to your colleagues, inform others of the situation, and encourage people to get in touch with us.  And if you are having any other kind of pay issues, or other work-related concerns,  please let us know.  We want to help make things right!

In Solidarity,

Your GEO Stewards, Staff & Officers

 

Payment of Wages
M.G.L. chapter 149, section 148
Wages (payment for all hours worked, including tips, earned vacation pay, holiday pay, and definitely determined and due commissions) must be paid within the following time periods:

  • If employed for five or six days in a calendar week, within six days of the end of the pay period during which the wages were earned;
  • If employed seven days in a calendar week, within seven days of the end of the pay period during which the wages were earned;
  • An employee who has worked for a period of less than five days (also known as a casual employee), within seven days of the end of the period.
  • Employees who are paid on an hourly basis must be paid weekly or bi-weekly.
  • Employers may not make agreements with employees to be paid in another manner.