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Please note that this list only begins to answer general questions regarding furloughs and is based on current information. These FAQ’s will continue to be updated as more information becomes available. The university community will be notified through newsletters and email when the furlough procedures and processes are finalized and posted to the Furlough Information website.
- What is a furlough?
- Why is the university implementing furloughs?
- Who is required to participate in mandatory furloughs?
- If I am a grant-funded employee do I have to participate?
- When will the furlough program be effective?
- How many furlough days am I required to take?
- When can I take my furlough time?
- Will classes be cancelled (or offices/services shut down)?
- How will I record my furlough time?
- Can I take partial days or does it have to be in full day increments?
- Can I take a furlough day on a paid holiday (e.g. Thanksgiving Day)?
- May I take a furlough day before or after a paid holiday?
- Can I use paid vacation, comp time, or sick leave during my furlough?
- Can I choose to come to work on my furlough day?
- How will this furlough affect my paycheck?
- How will this furlough affect my sick and vacation accruals?
- How will this furlough affect my benefits?
- How will this furlough affect my retirement if I am in the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP)?
- How will this furlough affect my retirement if I am in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS)?
- How will this furlough affect my retirement if I am contributing to supplemental retirement savings plans?
- Can I donate furlough days to other employees or take extra furlough days to help the university?
- Do I have grievance rights regarding the furlough?
- Am I eligible for unemployment during my furlough days?
- How will the furlough affect garnishments being deducted from my paycheck?
- How will the furlough affect child support payments being deducted from my paycheck?
What is a furlough?
A furlough is time off without pay that is required on a temporary basis as a cost saving measure.
Why is the university implementing furloughs?
Like many universities around the country, the university is using furloughs as one of a number of cost saving measures to help meet severe budget reductions. Furloughs provide temporary savings and minimize the need to reduce university services. During such budget reductions, furloughs also help minimize the impact to the university’s work force and position the university to recover more quickly once the need for cost saving measures has abated.
Who is required to participate in mandatory furloughs?
All benefit-eligible faculty, classified staff, service professionals, academic professionals and administrators will participate in mandatory furlough during fiscal year 2010 (July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010).
Employees who will not participate are employees funded 90% or more by sponsored project funds (not including TRIF), non-benefit eligible employees, temporary employees, student employees, graduate and research assistants, postdoctoral scholars and employees on H1-B work visas.
If I am a grant-funded employee do I have to participate?
Employees whose compensation is 90% or greater from sponsored project funds (other than TRIF) will not be required to take furlough in fiscal year 2010.
Employees whose compensation is partially from sponsored project funds, but less than 90% overall, are subject to the furlough plan.
Please check the FAQ’s for grant-funded positions for more specific information on managing grant-funded furloughs. The Office of Grant and Contract Services has also provided Guidance for Managing Furloughs for Employees Supported by Sponsored Projects (unlinked while under construction) for principal investigators.
When will the furlough program be effective?
The university wide furlough program will be implemented for fiscal year 2010 (July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010).
President Haeger, the vice presidents, and the academic deans are currently taking three furlough days for fiscal year 2009.
How many furlough days am I required to take?
Employees whose salaries are under $40,000 per year are responsible for taking one furlough day (8 hours) during fiscal year 2010. Employees whose salaries are $40,000 or more per year are responsible for taking three furlough days (24 hours) in fiscal year 2010. For employees who work a reduced contract or a reduced FTE, the amount of days will be prorated.
When can I take my furlough time?
Employees and their supervisors should work together to determine an appropriate schedule to take furlough so that the impact to operations can be minimized. Employees should have their furlough time approved in advance by their supervisors. Some departments and supervisors may establish specific days when all or most department employees will take furlough time. All required furlough time must be taken between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010.
Will classes be cancelled (or offices/services shut down)?
Classes will not be cancelled and departments will schedule furloughs in such a way as to minimize disruption of operations. Where it makes sense, supervisors and employees are encouraged to schedule furlough time throughout the year and during non-instruction periods like spring break, the standard closure days at winter break. Of course, this will vary greatly dependent on the employee’s role, the department’s peak times, and the ongoing business need of the department.
How will I record my furlough time?
The Record of Absence (ROA) form is being revised so that all employees (exempt and non-exempt) will use the form to record furlough time taken during a pay period.
Can I take partial days or does it have to be in full day increments?
Furlough time can be taken in partial days (if approved by the supervisor according to the department’s business need), but no less than one hour increments per day. For example, employees could take one hour of furlough time on one day and one hour on another in the same week.
Can I take a furlough day on a paid holiday (e.g. Thanksgiving Day)?
Yes, you can request that your holiday be recorded as furlough hours and it will then be unpaid. However, supervisors may not mandate that a paid holiday be a furlough day.
May I take a furlough day before or after a paid holiday?
Yes, an employee may request to take furlough time on the day before or after a paid holiday and this will not affect payment for the holiday.
Can I use paid vacation, comp time, or sick leave during my furlough?
No. A furlough is unpaid time off and that’s why it is a cost savings to the university.
Can I choose to come to work on my furlough day?
No. To ensure that the university remains in compliance with laws and federal policies governing overtime, workplace injury, etc., employees are not permitted to work on their furlough days.
How will this furlough affect my paycheck?
Your pay in any given pay period will be reduced by the number of furlough hours you take in that pay period.
How will this furlough affect my sick and vacation accruals?
Sick and vacation accruals will not be affected. Employees will still accrue sick and vacation at their normal rate.
How will this furlough affect my benefits?
Health and dental insurance eligibility and premiums will not be affected. The flat dollar amount you pay will still be deducted from your paycheck and the coverage you receive when you file a claim will not change because of furloughs.
Benefit contributions paid by employees that are calculated on a percentage of your earnings will be slightly reduced in the pay periods where your pay is reduced due to furlough hours being taken. However, the benefit you receive is not changed because it is reported on your salary – not your earnings. This would include:
How will this furlough affect my retirement if I am in the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP)?
Your contribution and the employer contribution to the required ORP retirement plan are based on a percentage of your earnings and will be reduced in the pay periods in which you take furlough hours. In the pay period in which you take your furlough, fewer dollars are being invested.
How will this furlough affect my retirement if I am in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS)?
Your contribution and the employer contribution to the required ASRS retirement plan are based on a percentage of your earnings and will be reduced in the pay periods in which you take furlough hours.
Years of service will not likely be impacted. As long as an employee works at least one day in a month, that month is counted as part of the years of service.
ASRS bases part of the retirement benefit calculation on the average of the highest 36 consecutive months (three years) of earnings in the past 120 months (ten years) if you started contributing in the ASRS after January 1, 1984. (For those who began contributing before January 1, 1984, ASRS uses a 60-month average if that results in a higher retirement benefit.)
How this impacts an employee is dependent on highest years of service, how close to retirement someone is, how the salary increases have occurred over the years, etc.
*For more information on the potential impact on Arizona State Retirement pension benefits (especially for those nearing retirement age), review the special notice from ASRS on Furlough Salary Reduction Programs which also includes contact information for ASRS representatives.
How will this furlough affect my retirement if I am contributing to supplemental retirement savings plans?
Your contributions to voluntary (or supplemental) retirement savings plans are a flat dollar amount that you have determined and will not be reduced due to furlough. These plans include:
Can I donate furlough days to other employees or take extra furlough days to help the university?
No. Under this program, all employees will take only the furlough time required of them. However, the university appreciates the spirit of the offer and if an appropriate way for employees to help fellow employees in other ways or contribute more can be determined, that information will be communicated.
Do I have grievance rights regarding the furlough?
Authorization of individual furloughs is not subject to university grievance policies, but may be reviewed consistent with potential violations of the Safe Working and Learning Environment policy.
Am I eligible for unemployment during my furlough days?
The university has been determined to be eligible for the Arizona Shared Work program, which provides partial unemployment compensation in some circumstances. For information on participating in this program, visit the Shared Work Program information page.
How will the furlough affect garnishments being deducted from my paycheck?
Any garnishments based on percentage of pay will be reduced based on your earnings in the pay period in which you take furlough time.
How will the furlough affect child support payments being deducted from my paycheck?
This deduction is typically a flat dollar amount determined by a court order and it will not be reduced. If enough furlough time is taken in a pay period that it causes your check to be reduced and it doesn’t cover your payment, the remainder you owe on that payment is rolled over and taken out of your next check. |
