Dear administrators of various departments and offices.

I was distressed to receive your recent email informing me that due to a number of factors causing a delay in various processes (which means that I cannot pinpoint a nameable person whose fault this is) my contract will not be through all of the necessary administrative hoops in time to pay me this month.

If I were not at the very bottom of the academic ladder, it's unlikely that I would be in this position (either with my personal finances, or dealing with the consequences of your delays). It seems that Big Named Academic brought to the University using the Magic Money Pots has signed his contract, which is, I have no doubt at all, going to be processed in time to pay this Big Named Academic as they agreed. Big Named Academic would create a bigger stink about this than I am able to do.

I understand that I will be paid for two months at the end of the following month, but by that point I will have been teaching for 7-8 weeks, and marked a quiz, an exercise and a batch of essays. I will also have had to pay two months' rent, bills, and travel to work expenses, none of which will accept a note that says 'I promise to pay you as soon as my employer, with whom I have not yet signed a contract and thus have no enforceable way of making them give me any money, actually pay me'.

I know my bills are not your responsibility. But processing my contract on time IS.

And it strikes me as slightly unfair that I will have done my job this month and I will not get paid. You will get paid in full, whether this part of your job is completed or not.