Less money, more problems

Due to some bureaucratic issues, the Student Publications staff will not be getting paid this week. None of us.

It’s not because we didn’t do the work (obvious, given the two publications this week), or due to any problem with our salaries.

The entire payment process at Winthrop is the real problem. To save money, Winthrop converted to a digital timesheet, rather than the physical paper format. Unfortunately, the system isn’t identical for every department on campus.

Students paid by the hour must record their work online; some departments still use paper timesheets as well, to have a physical record of work.

Salaried employees, such as many Student Publications students, do not need to fill out the online form. We’re still required to fill out paperwork at the beginning of each semester, however, similar to other departments.

But for some reason, our paperwork didn’t quite make it through the administrative process necessary for paychecks. 

Ever since the online system took over, getting paid has been more and more difficult. 

We understand the hurdles around dispersing money at a public institution, and it’s not any single individual or system’s fault.

It’s the entire process. No department gets paid the same way, so there’s no unity. The system makes getting paid very difficult.

Though it saves money, a digital format is confusing and just causes more problems. 

Maybe paper’s not so bad. After all, when we recorded work through paper timesheets, our paychecks arrived on time.

Really, we just want our paychecks. We just want to pay rent, buy groceries and recieve compensation for our work.

We just want an easier, more efficient way for Winthrop to accurately pay students, and for students to timely recieve their money.

Is that really so bad?