In special recognition of extraordinary efforts to advance its missions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the university has awarded eligible faculty and staff three additional paid days off for the upcoming holiday breaks.
These additional season days, made as a one-time award for 2020, are Nov. 25 and Dec. 23-24.
More information
The announcement was made in an email to eligible faculty and staff from Provost Susan Collins, Chief Financial Officer Kevin Hegarty and Richard Holcomb, associate vice president for human resources.
“Remote working and teaching, virtual classrooms for children and adjusting to important public health measures have made agility a hallmark of the year, and our faculty and staff have risen to the challenge,” they wrote. “This additional paid time off is one small way to recognize and express gratitude to our faculty and staff.“
Regular faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus (excluding the Medical School), and those on the Dearborn and Flint campuses who are currently eligible for season days will receive this additional time off.
Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement are not automatically eligible because their time off is set by their contract. University Human Resources will collaborate with unions where season days are applicable to discuss whether the days may be included for these bargaining units.
Michigan Medicine announced separate measures this week to recognize faculty and staff, who are not receiving the extra season days. Those measures include reinstatement of their retirement matching funds, a $500 bonus for faculty and non-bargained for staff, and restoration of discretionary spending for professional development.
Adam Diehl
Yet again, the Medical School staff get the shaft. Thanks Runge (a.k.a., the Grinch that stole our retirement)!
Janice Stockton
I work outside of the U-M campus as a field interviewer within the ISR system. We too, have had to adjust how we work amid the Covid-19 pandemic. We already work without the standard benefits offered to most employees at U-M. However, just this once when we are constantly told in emails and calls how “valuable” we are and how projects we work on couldn’t succeed without us, it would be nice to have some recognition from U-M and include us in some way with at least one extra holiday pay day or something.
Thank you for your consideration. Janice Stockton
Christina Loar
Why, exactly, didn’t we receive the $500 bonus? Or the extra days off? As part of the medical school, we are the last to be recognized, although our folks were on the frontlines with sick patients! The University staff were behind Zoom meetings, but still get the extra benefits, make that make sense! Very saddened by this.