University of Toledo furlough program details

Why furloughs?

Furloughs are a temporary, required period of time off for employees without pay used to save organizations money. Like many universities and government bodies around the country, The University of Toledo plans to use furloughs as one method to help it balance its budget.

The State of Ohio has given all boards of trustees at state institutions the authority to require “mandatory furloughs of employees to achieve spending reductions necessitated by institutional budget deficits.” 

The advantage of furloughs is that they help minimize the number of employee layoffs and position the University to recover more quickly when the needs for cost-saving measures have diminished. The furlough program is a strategic decision to help UT avoid the more severe plight of many other institutions around the country.

Who is required to participate in the furlough program?

The primary guiding principle of UT’s furlough program is that all benefit-eligible employees will participate, therefore minimizing the impact on any particular employee classifications.

Part-time employees will have their furlough prorated based on their FTE.

The furloughs and the impact of the furloughs are currently being negotiated with the institution’s various unions.

Employees cannot use vacation, personal days, comp time or sick time on unpaid furlough days. A furlough is unpaid time off and that’s why it is a cost savings to the University.

Furlough Impacts

Despite a reduction in hours worked, the University has decided to not reduce sick and vacation time accruals for the furlough period. You will receive your standard allotment of both.

The furloughs will also not affect your eligibility for benefits.  The dollar amount you pay will still be deducted from your paycheck and the coverage you receive when you file a claim will not change.

An employee’s contribution and the employer contribution to a retirement plan are based on a percentage of earnings and will be reduced during the pay periods in which furlough hours are taken. In other words, fewer dollars will be invested. 

Any garnishments based on your percentage of pay will be reduced based on your earnings in the pay period in which the furlough is taken.

Child support payments are taken out of paychecks in set amounts determined by court orders, so this dollar amount will not be reduced.

Furlough hours do not count toward hours worked for overtime purposes. It is important that no employees’ work week total more than 40 hours.

Do not work while the University is closed

Employees on furlough during the week the University is closed, are not allowed to work. This includes reading or responding to e-mails, calling or responding to calls from colleagues, and being on site of your work location at any time during your furlough days. If an employee does work during his or her furlough without permission, he or she will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Questions?

If you have specific questions regarding your situation, please send an e-mail to furloughinfo@utoledo.edu.