The furlough times

Everybody seems to have heard - even my father, in West Virginia - that the State of California is on the verge of forcing its state employees to take a 2-day per month furlough, starting in early February.

Now that we're near the day, most of us are trying to look at the bright side. What I've been hearing from most of my fellow workers is that this will be challenging for them financially, but better than the prospect of layoffs. Some lower their voices when they remark that two additional days off a month will actually come in handy, even if the days are unpaid. Provided this is all temporary.

Here at Dream Job, we'd very much like to be able to keep our little office open on those Fridays. We're hoping to be allowed to take "self-directed" furlough, which means we could stagger our furlough days to enable there to be office coverage every day, with no break in services. Unless the plan is also to shut off heat and power in Sacramento buildings to conserve energy, we can't imagine Dept. of Personnel Administration would mind.

BB's agency gets its funding primarily from the fed, so his managers are hoping for some kind of exemption to the state furlough. Or self-directed furlough days. As you can tell, there are many variables left to determine.

Comments

[Anthony]

If that sucked any worse you could make up for your lost funds by posing as a rug cleaning service...

[TheNag]

As provincial employees my husband and I went through something similar during the recession in the early 90's. NDP Premier Bob Rae's "Rae Days" violated collective agreements and cost him re-election. As a constituency assistant I was in the tough position of having to sell this to voters. It sold like month old haddock (meaning it didn't).

[e]

it's one of the options being considered in the school system here. i like it much more than the getting rid of me option.

[Jennifer]

I'm wondering if this will extend to the UC's. I haven't heard that they're going there yet.