Tulare County Adopts Furlough Hours for Departments

August 10, 2010

Furlough schedules for the County of Tulare’s government offices were approved today by the Board of Supervisors.

Employee furloughs are mandatory time off work with no pay and are used as an alternative to a layoff.

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors approved the 40-hour unpaid furlough program for themselves and approximately 500 unrepresented employees on July 21. Last year, the Board of Supervisors also approved a 40-hour unpaid furlough program for employees represented by unions that extend into the 2010-11 fiscal year. The 40-hour – equivalent to five 8-hour days in one fiscal year – unpaid furlough equates to a 1.9 percent salary reduction for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

“Enacting furloughs is one tool to close the budget deficit without creating a major financial burden on our employees,” said Steve Worthley, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

Chairman Worthley said the 40-hour furlough program is relatively small compared to other local jurisdictions, whose furlough programs take a greater portion of employee salaries. For example:

- Madera County’s furlough program calls for employees to take 24 days off through the 2010-11 fiscal year. (9 percent salary reduction)
- Stanislaus County’s furlough program calls for employees to take 13 days off through the 2010-11 fiscal year. (5 percent salary reduction)
- California’s furlough program calls for employees to take three days off per month through the 2010-11 fiscal year. (13.8 salary reduction)

Each Tulare County department recommended their plan as to when and how they implement the furlough program for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

The temporary office closures are listed:

RMA General Services Administration & Property Management: Offices will close on Fridays from Aug. 13 to Oct. 15

RMA Roads: Offices will close on Fridays from Oct. 15 to Nov. 12

RMA Building Inspection – Porterville Office: Offices will close on Fridays from Nov. 12 to Dec. 17

Assessor’s Office: Offices will close Nov. 22-24 and Dec. 22-23

Library: Closed on Nov. 24, Dec. 20-23, Dec. 28, and Dec. 31

Elections Office: Closed Fridays from Aug. 13 to Oct. 8.

The following departments will be closed from Dec. 27-31, 2010: Board of Supervisors, Child Support, Cooperative Extension, County Administrative Office, County Counsel, Human Resources, IHSS Public Authority, Workforce Investment Board, General Services-Parks, Lakes & Museum, Law Library, Agricultural Commissioner – Sealer of Weights and Measures.