August 27, 2009
| To: | UCSB Faculty and Stagg |
| From: | Gene Lucas |
| Executive Vice Chancellor | |
| Ron Cortez, Associate Vice Chancellor | |
| Administrative Services | |
| Re: | FURLOUGH PLANS |
On July 16, the University of California Board of Regents decided on a one-year salary reduction/furlough plan that becomes effective September 1st, 2009. The plan provides that, beginning with September earnings, eligible employees will begin to accrue a specified number of furlough days, corresponding to their reduced annual compensation. For eligible staff employees, the number of furlough days range from 11 to 24 days. For academic year faculty, they range from 7 to 17.
Details of the salary reduction/furlough plan are available at:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/budget/?p=658
In addition, the Office of the President has just released guidelines for faculty on the use of furlough days. These additional guidelines can be found at
http://www.ucsb.edu/campus-topics/budget/faq-furlough-days.shtml
You will see that despite the recommendations of this campus and the Academic Council, the Office of the President -- having received considerable advice to the contrary, particularly from other campuses -- has decided that faculty furlough days "will not occur on instructional days." Although this in effect renders the furlough plan more like a pay cut for faculty, the furlough plan still protects the base salary for faculty and staff for purposes of benefit and other compensation calculations. While some faculty will be dismayed at this decision, the campus has been given no choice. However, the Chancellor will continue to convey campus concerns to the Office of the President, Regents and fellow Chancellors. He will also press on the Office of the President and the Regents to make every effort to end the furlough program in 12 months.
Given this as background, it is now important to formulate plans for implementing furlough days. The overwhelming feedback we have received to date is to give departments flexibility in implementing furloughs so that the department and/or its offices might coordinate furlough days in order to be closed periodically. While most departments would like to close for the Winter break, some cannot and would not. To the extent possible, departments would also like to coordinate furlough days with their staff to close their offices on days before or after holidays to extend the weekend.
We are therefore asking each department to formulate a furlough plan. Non-academic departments should report proposed plans to their respective Vice Chancellors. Academic departments should report proposed plans to their respective Deans, who in turn should consult with the Executive Vice Chancellor. We will examine the plans to ensure that any proposed office closures do not create unnecessary hardships for faculty, staff or students. As a guideline, departments might consider the following coordinated furlough days:
Winter Break
Monday, December 21
Tuesday, December 22nd
Wednesday, December 23rd
Monday, December 28th
Tuesday, December 29th
Wednesday, December 30th
Days around Holiday Weekends
Wednesday, November 25*
Friday, February 12*
Friday, May 28*
* Per instructions from the Office of the President, faculty who are scheduled to give lectures, lead classes or workshops, have scheduled office hours or have other scheduled face-to-face responsibilities for students cannot take furlough on these days.
In addition, it is recommended that any remaining furlough days be used in accordance with each unit's operational needs while also providing for flexibility among eligible staff employees.
Employees not included in the furlough plan will have the choice of the following options to cover the non-paid days during any closure periods, in accordance with University personnel policies, existing labor agreements and subject to discussion and/or collective bargaining where applicable:
- Accrued vacation (employees may utilize a certain number of vacation days in advance of their actual accrual as specified in University personnel policies and existing labor agreements; newly hired employees may utilize vacation accruals prior to six continuous months on pay status);
- Compensatory time off;
- Leave without pay.
Reports can be quite simple, and some examples are given below:
a) The Department of ___________ proposes to close from Monday, December 21, 2009 through Friday, January 1, 2010. Staff (faculty) would use a combination of furlough days, vacation days and paid holidays. Remaining furlough days would be used individually by staff (faculty) throughout the rest of the year. Staff would coordinate these days with their supervisor.
b) The Department of ___________ proposes no closures this year. Furlough days would be used individually by staff (faculty) throughout the rest of the year. Staff would coordinate these days with their supervisor.
c) The Department of ___________ proposes to close from Monday, December 21, 2009 through Friday, January 1, 2010. Staff (faculty) would use a combination of furlough days, vacation days and paid holidays. The Department also proposes to close its office(s) on the following days: Wednesday, November 25, Friday, February 12, and Friday, May 28 (although these would still be teaching days for the faculty). Remaining furlough days would be used individually by staff (faculty) throughout the rest of the year. Staff would coordinate these days with their supervisor.
Please formulate your plans and report them to your Dean or Vice Chancellor by Friday, September 12, 2009. If you have any questions regarding the development of your furlough plan, please contact Cynthia Cronk, Human Resources Director, 893-8137.