Furloughs Start Tomorrow
UA employees making more than $40,000 a year are required to take between one and three furlough days before June 30, 2011.

By Alexis Blue, University Communications
June 30, 2010


Beginning tomorrow, University of Arizona employees can start taking their required furlough days for the 2011 fiscal year. Depending on their salary, employees are required to take between zero and three unpaid days off before June 30, 2011.

President Robert N. Shelton announced in April that employee furloughs would be necessary in fiscal year 2011 due to a mandate from the Arizona Board of Regents that all three state universities reduce their general fund salary budget expenditures by 2.75 percent. That amounts to about $5.2 million for the UA.

"I think people understand my aversion to furloughs, and we're only using this because there is one very specific directive from the Board of Regents," Shelton said in a recent interview.

The breakdown for how many furlough days an employee must take is as follows: Employees making $40,000 or less a year will not have to take any furlough days. Those making between $40,001 and $60,000 will be required to take one unpaid day off between tomorrow and June 30, 2011. Those making between $60,001 and $90,000 will be required to take two days, and those making more than $90,000 will take three.

Employees have the option of taking full days or spreading the unpaid hours out across the year in as little as one-hour increments.

"I think these will be minimal – it will be one, two or three days – and it can be worked out through the whole year, worked out with your supervisor, and so what we hope is this won't be too disruptive to anybody and yet it will allow us to honor the directive by the regents," Shelton said.

A list of frequently asked questions regarding the furlough program is available on the Human Resources website and is being updated as needed.  

Employees have been asked to work with their supervisors to determine when furlough days should be used, and some departments have asked their staff to to submit "furlough plans," outlining when they intend to take their time, to aid in departmental planning, said Christy Drake, senior compensation analyst with Human Resources.  

Employees are able to report furlough time in the UAccess Employee system, using the "UFE – University Furlough" time reporting code for exempt employees or the "UFP – University Furlough" code for nonexempt employees. Employees will only see the furlough time reporting code that applies to them.

This is the first time the UA has required employee furloughs.

Arizona State University initiated a furlough program in fiscal year 2009 that required administrators to take 15 unpaid days off, classified staff to take 10 days and all other employees 12. Northern Arizona University implemented a program for fiscal year 2010 that  required employees making less than $40,000 to take one unpaid day and those making $40,000 or more to take three.

Some UA employees say that while taking unpaid time off is not ideal, it's a sacrifice they are willing to make to help prevent more damaging money-saving alternatives.

"It's one of the most fair options," said Mary Repola, an administrative associate in the School of Music, who said she will use her one furlough day as just an extra vacation day, although she has no specific plans.

"No one likes furloughs. But given the alternative of people that might be laid off, I'm more than glad to give two days of my time," said Veronica Peralta, business manager for the department of Mexican American & Raza studies. 

Peralta said she likely will use each of her two furlough days after three-day holiday weekends, extending them to four days.

Sandra Duque, senior program coordinator for the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, will use her furlough day for a trip to a family reunion in Orlando, Fla. in August.

Having just started in her position in May, Duque has few vacation days accumulated. The furlough day will help make her trip possible.

"It's actually a good thing for me," she said.

Shelton expressed appreciation for employees' positive attitudes in difficult financial times.

"We have so many people, in all income brackets, that in addition to making sacrifices with furloughs are making sacrifices to help colleagues, to fund scholarships ... this is really a community that pulls together," he said.

"I'm very proud of the people that work here."

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