Are staff at your college or university being asked to report to work, while classes have been cancelled or moved online? This should signal something about how staff are treated more generally — as disposable, replaceable, less than human.
This doesn’t mean you should send staff home without pay. Opportunities for remote work or paid sick leave should be offered to everyone.
This also doesn’t mean “essential” services should be stopped. There are still students on campuses, and we need to find ways to support them. But, institutions must also treat their staff with respect, giving them the tools they need to make decisions about their own safety.
Staff are being required to “show up” without alternatives. Student workers are having hours cut without pay. I’ve been reading and retweeting stories all morning. That’s the issue. If folks get defensive about this thread, that’s also the issue. We can do better, all of us.
