The University of Idaho has announced plans to implement tiered furloughs for 2,600 employees as a way to deal with budget shortfalls in the current fiscal year.
Two weeks ago, the State Board of Education granted Idaho university presidents the power to enact furloughs to stem costs.
Calling it a temporary cost-saving measure, UI officials say the furloughs will apply to all board-appointed classified, exempt and faculty employees and will be an incremental, ‘tiered’ system.
Individuals making higher salaries will take more furlough days off, which translates into a larger proportional temporary reduction in salary. Employees who earn less than a living wage per Idaho standards are exempt from the furlough.
The minimum furlough assignment will be four hours, with assigned time increasing in one-hour increments as for increasing salary levels. For example, an employee making $30,000 will be required to take 7 hours of furlough, while an employee making $60,000 will take 15 hours.
The plan has a 30-day notice window in which employees may choose to take furlough time; after 30 days, the plan becomes mandatory.
Employees will schedule their furlough time. Faculty under nine-month contracts will have until May 15 to take furlough time, while staff will have through June 25.
UI officials say the furloughs will save the school $1.2 million.
