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These questions are supplemental to the general FAQ’s for all university employees.
Please note: A recent change in furlough policy provides an exemption to furloughs for those positions funded 90% or more by sponsored project funds (other than TRIF). All information below has been updated accordingly.
If I am paid by grants or contracts do I have to participate in furloughs?
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. While the salary savings from state funds are returned to the university, the salary savings from the grant or contract will remain in the sponsored project account and can be re-budgeted for other purposes.
What if my funding percentage changes during the fiscal year?
Employees who have a funding change during the fiscal year which moves them from one category to another (under 90% sponsored project funds or 90% or more sponsored project funds) will be responsible for an adjusted amount of furlough time based on their salary, their FTE, and the number of days during the fiscal year that they were in a status that required furlough to be taken.
The project I am working on will be negatively impacted by the furlough time planned for fiscal year 2010 (FY10). What do I do?
It’s anticipated that there will be few cases where the furlough requirement will be demonstrated to have a significant impact (i.e., more than any case where an employee takes vacation and/or sick leave). If principal investigators believe the impact of the furlough days will jeopardize the satisfactory completion of grant work during a project’s funding period, they should contact their grant administrator for options.
Since dollars saved on grants or contracts cannot be returned to the state to contribute to the budget cuts, why are employees paid on those funds required to take furloughs?
The university, like many research-active institutions across the country, is emphasizing consistency as one of the chief principles in implementing the furlough program. A grant funded employee does not become ineligible for certain benefits because of funding source (i.e. medical leaves of absence or pay out of vacation balance at time of termination, etc. ) and likewise, should not automatically be exempted from other employee requirements, policies, or programs.
In a modification to the original policy, it has been decided that the exception would be those faculty and staff whose compensation is 90% or greater from sponsored project funds (not including TRIF) since they are most subject to externally-imposed deadlines and funding.
For more information on this modification, read the May 19, 2009 announcement from President Haeger, Provost Grobsmith, and Vice President Huenneke.
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