Our state has implemented a new policy, which is basically this: if we as employees of the state do any work outside our work for the state (which is to say, me as a university professor) which pays more than $500 we have to report that to the state.
Previously, this edict said we had to report it if we worked for any OTHER state agency. So like if I taught English and worked construction in a state park, for instance, I would have to report that. That sort of made sense, I guess. Maybe?
This one doesn't seem to make sense at all (a) and (2) seems a violation of my rights as a worker. Maybe they're trying to see if people have two jobs, because them these people aren't devoting their lives to the state job? I don't know.
It makes me edgy, I do know that. Not that I am making anywhere near $500 for anything I'm doing, like writing book reviews and so on. The most I've ever made for a short story is a couple hundred dollars. But still, suppose I actually manage to write a novel that makes a little money. (It could happen!) Is that going to be seen by the GOP down there in Little Rock as a violation of the terms of my employment?
Also, as one of my colleagues mentioned, maybe these Republican numpties should consider why state employees might need to be working two jobs. Just an idea.
6 comments:
I have always had to do this for consulting work, with no lower limit. It's never been a problem so far?
I don't have to report honorarium anymore or fees for reviewing things like textbooks, though we were supposed to do that when I first got here. It's anything that creates paid income that isn't part of my job. Also I'm pretty sure if I were an English professor I wouldn't need to report selling a story, because that would be considered like an honorarium-- part of your job is creative writing and getting creative writing publications. But if I do economic consulting I do need to report it. I also need to report salary from grants that don't run through the university.
They *like* us to do economic consulting and economic freelance writing. They would probably not like us to do construction work unless it somehow were related to economics. I'm not sure how they would feel if we had like a knitting business or something. But I have never heard of anybody getting told to stop their etsy shop or anything.
So I should stop worrying, then?
For us, in my red state's state university, the main concerns when we report outside professional activities are that (1) nothing conflicts with our university responsibilities (e.g., does this interfere with teaching times?), (2) there is no conflict of interest (e.g., am I working for a company that sells something to the university?), and, most importantly, (3) you are not using the university's resources for these outside activities (e.g., are you using students to do the work?).
Every summer I work for Educational Testing Services to score AP Spanish exams, I make over $1000, and I have never had an issue with my superiors for reporting it.
That makes sense. Let's hope that's why our red state legislature wants to know about our outside work. (I admit I do not trust our state government, which is people by such politicians as Huckster Sanders, Jason Rapert, and Tom Cotton, liars and charlatans all.)
I could see this as a way to help stop improprieties. Like, for example, if someone runs a consulting business that provides advice to and takes payments from construction companies, that could be a problem if the person is also a permitting decision-maker. But I can also see it as a way to quell political action-- for example, if a professor is paid by a political campaign for campaign work, and then the information is used to undermine or smear the professor.
You say that the income has to be reported to the state... but what state agency is getting the reporting? Is it just taxes, or something else? I know that in the last couple of years, taxing has tightened up around here on small income-generators: doesn't matter who the employers or payers are, just that if it's over a certain amount, the government wants to know about it for tax purposes.
I'm pretty sure it's not tax-related. The information is collected by our provost and then sent to (I think?) the higher ed committee of our state legislature.
Post a Comment