I get three paychecks a year. I accept a little wiggle room around the dates, especially since the finance office makes it clear months in advance when I should expect to be paid. I even understand that those dates may change. But it’s pretty mean to move that date out almost an entire month with no notice whatsoever just days before the original pay date.

To add insult to injury, when I asked why my 6 month old travel reimbursement still hasn’t been processed, they told me it was so they could get out “start of semester funding” (e.g. my paycheck) in a timely fashion.

If we have to have uncertainty in the timing of some funding, shouldn’t that uncertainty be suffered by people who are more likely to be able to afford a late paycheck? Why are universities so bad at this stuff?