Student workers jipped by GMS inefficiency

The Georgetown Management System, which is responsible for paying all campus employees, will roll out a new operating system on Oct. 14. Even though the new system will be a welcome change, for many student workers this transition came months too late.  Due to what appears to be operating inefficiencies and human error, dozens of students, many of whom work for the Department of Residential Living, have reported going weeks without pay.

In an interview with the Voice, Associate Vice President of Student Housing Jonalyn Ware Green, said that, due to the large influx of new hires, housing receives at the beginning of the academic year, the department habitually falls behind on issuing paychecks to workers. Such delays are understandable to a certain extent. However, the complications have evolved from a series of inconveniences into a disgraceful show of bureaucratic inefficiency. Over a month has passed since the start of the academic year, and some students still have not been paid in full.

Student employees owed wages must be paid immediately. For many students, the income they make from these jobs amounts to more than mere pocket change. Students rely on this income. They often depend upon this money to pay bills, buy books, and purchase food. The backlog of unpaid hours places significant financial pressure on students, especially those who receive financial aid.

The issue of unpaid wages, although important in itself, has revealed fundamental problems in the University’s communication with its student workers. The Department of Residential Living expects students who have complaints about wage delays to file complaints internally and wait for GMS to resolve the issue. In this situation, when administrators insist on giving students the bureaucratic runaround, students should be aware of their ability to utilize other outlets to voice their concerns.

Many workers fear that complaining about their own experience to student media will result in termination of their employment. According to Director of Residential Education Ed Gilhool, students are actually free to speak independently to the press about their own experiences. Nevertheless, the fact that employees are not made aware of their rights by employers must be corrected.

Ideally, students will not have to seek out external platforms for advocacy in the future, and the introduction of this new system will eliminate payroll delays. In the event that past inefficiencies continue, GMS must be held publicly accountable by students for its inaction.