Postdocs: employees or not?
In your article on postdoc working conditions you quote Keith Micoli of the National Postdoctoral Association as saying that the wording of a NIH National Research Service Award "prohibits institutions from classifying fellowship recipients as employees."
In your article on postdoc working conditions you quote Keith Micoli of the National Postdoctoral Association as saying that the wording of a NIH National Research Service Award "prohibits institutions from classifying fellowship recipients as employees."1 I believe that Micoli is repeating a bit of widely used administrator misinformation on this point.
The NIH policy only provides that a postdoc is not required to be an employee in order to receive the grants.2 It does not say that a postdoc cannot be an employee for the purpose of benefits. With a provision added after years of pressure, the NIH now specifically provides that health insurance can be reimbursed up to $3,000 per year.
Originally the language "not provided as a condition of employment" was for the purpose of claiming non-taxability of scholarships. Since the Tax Reform Act of 1986, this is no longer possible. However, many institutions have...
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