nytimes.com:
Wendy Roberson, a state employee in California, founded the Fun Furlough Fridays Club partly as a joke, but also because she honestly believed that she would be having long-weekend-type fun on her forced time off.
Furlough - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
furlough - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
More companies turn to furloughs to save money, jobs - USATODAY.com
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Furloughed workers who are being forced to work without pay need to get some balls and stand up to their employers who are technically stealing from them. Try a strike, they usually work.
H1B guest workers although 'furloughed' like everyone else, still are required by law to be paid during those days. So they get free paid days off while an American worker just gets a smaller paycheck.
Wow. So 'furlough' is a euphemism for 'pay cut?' If they're on the books for 32 hours but compelled to work 40, how does that affect UI contributions, benefits, taxes, time off accruals, etc.? They're state EEs, not working for some little mom-n-pop shop that wouldn't have to consider such things. This sounds really nasty.
I can tell you,... I friggin' love my job nine days out of ten,...
But if they ever furlough me,... my ass is so NOT going to be in the office on my mandated off days.
It's almost like silently being blackmailed to work for free. In this case: a four day a week pay for five day a week work. What's next? 3 days a week?
People who are not being paid CANNOT be forced to work. THAT IS AGAINST FEDERAL LAW. While I understand their loyalty (don't be so loyal, your employer-even a government one won't be loyal to you in return) they are making a serious mistake that could ultimately affect all American workers. As a city government employee, in Human Resources, I'm here to tell them, there is NOTHING in it for you. It won't guarantee you keep your job, and taking time off you aren't getting paid for won't cause you to be fired. Government employee are subject to very specific rules, regulations and also rights. Private employees in my state (Utah) are considered "at will" and can basically be fired at any time, for any reason, no matter what the Policy and Personnel Manual says. Now is exactly the time not to lose hard fought for rights such as 40-hour work weeks (and 40 hours of pay), sick days and paid time off. The corporations are receiving BILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS, and what are they giving back in return? Layoffs and home foreclosures.
"...People who are not being paid CANNOT be forced to work. THAT IS AGAINST FEDERAL LAW..."
Yeah, right. Then the rumor is started that furloughed workers who aren't at work will be first on the termination list.
I know of some furloughed government workers who spend their down time working background as extras on film and television projects.
It doesn't do much to help replace the lost income, but at least you're fed well on the set.
Take back the trillions of $$$ given to the banks, who just sit on it and make it totally ineffective then start government incentive to create realistic industries that give employment and generate real productive income, some of which would hopefully be from exports.
Every other country, especially China and most of Europe have goverment incentives to protect it's industries. No matter what you call it it's a form of protectionism and its inevitable. We should stop being naive and take care of our own house. The only ones who win if we don't are the multinational corporations who don't care where they get their hand out.
good articles for a slow news day: http://www
This is just really dumb. Someone should point these people at the book:
"The Mythical Man-Month"
It puts to bed all the idiotic notions that people use to justify "cost saving measures" that really end up costing more in the end.
In general, I don't think furloughed employees should be working on days they are not getting paid. Technically its illegal (unless they are salaried or non-hourly employees). That being said, at the small company I work for, hours have been cut substantially but I have worked "off the clock" to keep things going (at one point last winter, I was down briefly to one day per week but still put in at least an extra day or two each week without pay). Then again, I work for a small company and I am a (small) stake holder so even though I might not be getting paid now, I will reap some benefit (i.e. increased stock value, dividends, profit sharing and continued employment) down the road when things turn around. Most of the people in this story are NOT in that position and it is unfair.
Salaried "exempt" employees are little more than indentured servants. That necktie is a symbol of acquiesence, it's there so your boss knows that you are ready and willing to be led around like a donkey.
You don't need a necktie to be indentured. But, heh heh, it is more comfortable indenture.
This article seems all over the place and leaves the reader slightly confused. I can sympathize with anyone told that they will be forced to take unpaid days off, however, I am left wondering about the employees being upset at being forced to work days that they were upset that they were told that they would have to take as furlough days? Am I missing or not understanding something? Are the employees not being paid and ordered to work?
When you are on salary, none of the usual wage laws apply and the company is free to treat you like their pet iguana until you decide to quit.
lol. I never saw myself as an iguana, but you're right.
Read a little more carefully, or maybe you've never worked in a situation like this, but budgets have been being cut for years. You know smaller government and all that, but the work load hasn't been cut. So fewer people doing more work. Now comes the furlough BS. If one employee takes a furlough day the remaining employees, all ready overworked, have that much more work to do. People have a sense of loyalty to thier colleagues and choose to work so they don't have to suffer. Others seeing the layoffs that have occured work in a vain attempt to keep thier jobs. Its messed up, but that's what's going on.
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First Posted: 06-15-09 12:13 PM | Updated: 06-15-09 12:43 PM