Northwest Wayne News

Two University of Michigan professors recently garnered public attention with their discussion of the financial realities of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, in part due to their salaries, compared to others who are facing financial hardship in the midst of the economic crisis.

Michigan Capitol Confidential recently reported on the Twitter exchange between Pam Davis-Kean, a professor of psychology at University of Michigan, and Betsey Stevenson, a professor of economics at University of Michigan’s Gerald Ford School of Public Policy.

Davis-Kean, whose salary for the 2019-2020 school year was $148,021, is on sabbatical for the upcoming school term, according to her University of Michigan profile. Michigan Capitol Confidential did not note whether her leave was related to COVID-19, but the university's Standard Practice Guide states that sabbatical can be granted to tenured faculty for a full year or a half year.

Those receiving sabbatical for a full year are paid half of their current salary, according to the Standard Practice Guide. Faculty on sabbatical are also prohibited from working for another institution or enterprise during the sabbatical, except in the case they are participating in a university-approved fellowship program.

In her tweet, Davis-Kean commented on the economic reality of working from home: "Just realized that I am being asked to work at home as much as possible until the end of the year, and so now I pick up all of the physical cost of my job (electricity, upgrading internet) with no raise or subsidy from the University. Those with child care duties -- no compensation.”

Stevenson replied to the Tweet, offering some perspective: “We have had a real wage cut but so have many, perhaps most, workers. The pain of COVID is widespread and should be shared. So not to be unempathetic, but yes, we are being asked to do more, pay for more, and we should still be grateful for our privilege, which is enormous.”