University of Minnesota Backs Off

on Draconian P&A Policy?

I've posted on this matter recently. Please see:

Morrill Hall Gang to P&A: We own you... Time to wake up folks?

New P&A Policy University of Minnesota President Bruininks in the Dark?

It was apparent at the President's recent Open Forum that he was unaware of this new draconian policy.

From the Daily:

The University of Minnesota Office of Human Resources revised a policy that would allow the University to impose furloughs or pay cuts on its more than 5,000 academic professional and administrative (P&A) employees.

In reaction to the more than 300 comments employees made on the policy within the first 10 days of its posting online, multiple aspects of the policy have been revised, OHR Chief of Staff Joe Kelly said.

The proposed policy originally stated that the University could reduce P&A salaries, impose unpaid furloughs, postpone compensation or “take other actions as determined by the University in its sole discretion” in situations of financial stringency.

On April 21, OHR posted the revisions, stating that the provision allowing the University to “take other actions” — the part of the policy that was most controversial — would be removed.

Many P&A employees were concerned by the policy due to their already precarious employment situation.

“P&As mostly work on annual contracts that can be nonrenewed for any or no reason, which puts us in a particularly vulnerable position already,” said Randy Croce, a P&A employee with the Carlson School of Management Labor Education Service.

The policy will remain open for comment until May 12 because of the requirement that all major changes to University policy are open for review and comment for 30 days. Kelly said OHR will continue to read all comments and make additional changes as needed.

Some employees are still concerned about the vagueness of the policy, especially during an uncertain financial situation and the switch to a new administration in 2011, Croce said.