Furlough Guidelines
UWSP and the entire UW System will use a mix of four "fixed" and
four "floating" furlough days in each year of the biennium to
comply with the eight-day furlough requirement.
UWSP has specified four fixed furlough days when we will be
closed and only essential staff will work (as with normal
holiday staffing.) Essential staff who must work these days will
be assigned alternative furlough time off (FTO).
The following fixed furlough dates, proposed by UWSP governance
and administration, have been approved by the UW System
President:
November 26, 2010, the
Friday following Thanksgiving
January 3, 2011, the
Monday following New Years
March 21, 2011, the Monday of spring break week
May 27, 2011, the Friday before Memorial Day
Furlough time off (FTO) will be generated on a prorated basis
according to percent time in regular pay status. For example,
full-time 12-month employees will be required to take a total of
8 FTO days a year and full-time 9-month employees will be
required to take 6 days of FTO each year, including the fixed
furlough days and the corresponding number of floating furlough
days.
For employees whose gross pay is automatically reduced each
paycheck by 3.065%, the FTO time generated in a fiscal year must
be used in the same fiscal year. Unused furlough days cannot be
carried over to the next year or banked.
For employees whose pay is reduced only as the FTO is taken, the
mandated furlough days must be taken during each fiscal year.
The amount of furlough time taken per employee will be monitored
and any required furlough time not taken will result in further
action to accomplish the furlough mandate.
For full-time staff (prorated for part-time staff) whose gross
pay is reduced as FTO is taken, the FTO must be taken in at
least two (2) hour increments which must total one day (8 hours)
during one week to limit the number of weeks exempt employees
need to be considered non-exempt. In addition, only one day (8
hours) per week of FTO may be taken to avoid generating
unemployment insurance claims.
Employees must be specifically directed not to work any time
during which they are scheduled to be on furlough, without the
specific authorization of their supervisor or manager. Such work
includes being physically present in the work place, work at
home, work online, work on the telephone, "working lunches,"
work on a Blackberry or work on a cell phone. All such
unscheduled, unapproved work in furlough weeks is prohibited.
Violation of this prohibition may result in discipline.
For full-time staff (prorated for part-time staff) whose gross
pay is automatically reduced by 3.065% each pay period, FTO may
be used before it is accrued and may be used in half-day
(four-hour) increments. Employees in this group may use multiple
FTO days (more than 8 hours) per week.
Supervisors are responsible for approving and scheduling of FTO
before it is used/taken, just as they are responsible for
approving other scheduled leave time. Supervisors should work
with employees to monitor FTO taken and avoid situations where
individual employees face unexpected financial hardship because
they must then take all or most of the unpaid floating furlough
days in the last month of the fiscal year or contract period. if
needed, supervisors may direct involuntary scheduling of
floating FTO days to accommodate operational needs and ensure
full compliance with the furlough mandate.
If necessary, for employees whose pay is being reduced each
paycheck and who leave UW System employment, adjustments will be
made in the final pay check to reconcile any required furlough
pay be reimbursing excess FTO taken.
An employee may substitute furlough days/hours for any approved
paid leave as long as the use of furlough time meets the
requirements of the UW System furlough plan and is approved by
her/his supervisor. For example, an employee may use furlough
time in conjunction with an approved vacation schedule or in
substitution for a sick day, as long as such furlough time is
limited to 8 hours per week for those having pay reduced as
furlough hours are taken. In addition, employees may not forfeit
other paid leave such as vacation instead of taking unpaid
furloughs.
Employees on unpaid medical leave will be able to charge up to
64 hours per fiscal year of that leave to furlough. During the
period that the employee is both medically unable to work and
unpaid, the furlough hours per week may total up to the
employees budgeted FTE.
Employees on military leave for active duty (excluding annual
military leave) are not subject to furloughs. Employees who have
been on active duty and return to their university position will
have prorated furloughs for their remaining furlough obligation.
Employees may not volunteer to work on university business while
on furlough, which will result in a reduction of productivity.
All time that employees spend on furlough must be recorded as
FTO. Distinct pay type codes for FTO identification will be
entered on the UW Service Center payroll.
Faculty and instructional academic staff will not schedule
furlough days that conflict with their direct instructional
duties, including labs, recitation/discussion sections and
scheduled examinations.
Furloughs for sessional employment (summer, interim, winterim,
etc.) will be accomplished by a 3.065% reduction in payment for
those paid on a lump sum basis and by generation of up to 2 days
of furlough requirement for those working full-time (prorated
for part-time) for two months or more in the summer. In no case
will an employee generate an FTO requirement of more than 8 days
for each year of the 2009-2011 biennium.
Existing employment agreements with H-1B and E-3 visa holders
will not be subject to salary reduction, and those employees
will not be furloughed per federal law. Employment agreements
entered into beginning July 1, 2009, for new H-1B and E-3 hires
or for current H-1B or E-3 employees requiring visa extensions,
covering any time during the furlough period will have a
reduction of 3.065% to salary with no furlough days taken just
as is done with lump sum payments. However, no reduction of
salary for a new or continuing H1-B or E-3 employee shall lower
the salary below the prevailing wage established for that
employee through the prevailing wage process mandated by the
federal Department of Labor.
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