Sometimes it's easy for us to scoff at the idea that Harvard is a heartless, hypocritical institution. It sounds like the rant of a few dissatisfied students, complaining for complaint's sake. But every so often the callousness jumps in your face, impossible to ignore.

After the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, President Drew Faust sent out an email containing these words: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people, the men and women who are working to help them recover from the earthquake that has devastated their nation, and the members of the Harvard community who are anxious for word from friends and loved ones living on the island." A commendable sentiment from the leader of a globally renowned institution, one whose workforce comprises many people of Haitian origin. Right?

The earthquake occurred during J-term, a period when many workers, particularly those in the dining halls, are laid off. Scheduled to return to work on January 25, several Adams House dining hall workers who had lost family members in the quake missed the first few days of work. One of them said that she just didn't have the strength to come to work after learning of the death of several loved ones.

Others had not yet been able to contact their families and wanted to stay by the phone to wait for news. An understandable reaction, and a perfect opportunity for Harvard to show compassion to the members of its community who were suffering. Right?

Wrong. Instead, management punished the bereaved workers by docking their holiday pay for Christmas, New Year's, and Martin Luther King Day. Coming out of six weeks with no pay, these workers received a huge slap in the face from Harvard. Temporary layoffs put workers in a very tough financial situation, since they are unable to get another job. Additionally many workers from Haiti and other countries sent part of their wages home to help friends or family members, making Harvard's actions even more hypocritical. Despite the University's words of compassion and understanding, it chose to augment their pain and deny them support in a time of crisis.

The involved workers filed a grievance against management, and they won, meaning that their holiday pay has been recovered. But Harvard should be ashamed of itself for allowing this injustice to have occurred in the first place. What does it say about this institution that it would withhold pay from hardworking members devastated by a tragic loss?