Due to the unprecedented and unanticipated ongoing financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, NC State has made the difficult decision to implement temporary furloughs and temporary salary reductions for certain units and positions as one of several cost reduction measures. This action is in addition to the University’s suspension of non-essential hires, and several other cost reduction measures that are being taken to mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic.
NC State continues to be committed to the Wolfpack Community during these challenging times. These temporary measures are intended to help reduce the university’s financial pressures until full reactivation of campus can be implemented or financial forecasts significantly improve.
A furlough means that an employee has been temporarily taken off payroll because funding and/or work is not available or due to an emergency situation. At the time the furlough is initiated, the university believes that current conditions will likely change and intends to recall the employees to work or return them to their regular schedule as soon as possible. Although it is possible that furloughed employees will be considered for a permanent reduction-in-force based on future conditions, such a process would be subject to different procedures. Effective July 21, 2020, furloughs are authorized up to 12 months in duration.
Full Furlough
A “full furlough” means that an employee will not receive pay for at least a full month.
Partial Furlough
A “partial furlough” means that an employee will not receive pay for only part of a month, or will be placed on a temporarily reduced schedule rather than being placed on a full furlough.
RIF or Reduction in Force
A “reduction-in-force” means that the employee is permanently separated from employment, no longer accrues paid leave or state service credit, and is ineligible to participate in the State Health Plan; however, RIF employees receive university contributions to their health care premiums for the 12 months following their separation. Furloughs are temporary. RIFs are a permanent separation.
A temporary salary reduction is the reduction of an EHRA non-faculty, senior academic and administrative officers (SAAOs), and EHRA non-faculty instructional, research, and information technology (IRIT) employees base salary. Employees in impacted work units do not reduce the expected work hours of the employee per week.
Salary Limits
No salary reduction shall be implemented that results in a new annualized salary of $45,000 or less and no salary reduction under these provisions shall exceed 20 percent of the employee’s current base pay.
Salary Reduction Duration
A temporary salary reduction may be accomplished for a duration no shorter than one month and no longer than 12 months. Affected employees must be provided no less than 30 days’ courtesy notice prior to implementation of a salary reduction, which shall include the amount of the reduction and its anticipated duration. At this time, no employee can be furloughed at the same time that they are under a separate salary reduction action.