Because the current recession has forced the Legislature to make deep cuts in agency budgets, most state offices will close on Friday, and 26,500 state employees will take mandatory, unpaid furloughs on that day, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) announced Monday, Oct. 12.
The closure on Oct. 16 is the first of 10 closure dates the state has scheduled over the remainder of the current two-year budget period.
Each day of closure will save an estimated $2 million in personnel costs.
While the closures will affect both management and non-management employees, most management employees and many non-management employees will take up to four additional days of unpaid furloughs on a floating basis over the remainder of the biennium.
“We apologize for any inconvenience these closures might cause to the public, and we look forward to restoration of a full work schedule for all state agencies when the economy improves,” said DAS Director Scott Harra.
“State agencies will do everything possible to minimize any hardship the closures might impose.”
Some workers will stay on the job.
Certain state employees who provide essential services in public safety will remain on the job as usual€”Oregon State Police officers, corrections officers and certain state hospital workers, for example.
The designated closure days will not affect the Oregon University System, state courts or the legislative branch of government. These entities will remain open and will deal with budget reductions in other ways.
Harra pointed out that Oregon is not alone in using closures and unpaid furloughs. Nearly half the states have found that temporary closures and furloughs are efficient ways to save precious tax dollars while preserving the important functions and services of state government.
Over the past summer, the state’s management team and the unions that represent state workers negotiated an agreement that specifies which days to designate as closure days.
The negotiators took into account the need to minimize public inconvenience while keeping critical operations open and functioning.
“By taking this approach, we have avoided the costly and contentious legal battles that some other states have endured when public employees have contested the planned furloughs and closures,” Harra said.
The Oregon Department of Administrative Services has published information about Friday’s closure and furloughs on the state’s Web site (www.Oregon.gov), along with a schedule of the remaining closure days.
Members of the public can also find out which state offices will remain open on the closure days.
Harra urged the public to check individual agencies’ Web sites for additional information.
Most agencies and programs will be closed on ten specific days during the biennium.
Those closure days are all Fridays: Oct. 16, 2009 and Nov. 27, 2009; March 19, 2010, April 16, 2010, June 18, 2010, Aug. 20, 2010, Sept. 17, 2010 and Nov. 26, 2010; and March 18, 2011 and May 20, 2011.