Late last year when the county was beginning to negotiate with employees, hoping for some concessions on pay, there was little appetite from employees to give much back. The county had hoped to limit the number of layoffs, but layoffs came.
Now employees are volunteering for unpaid time off, at this point estimated to be saving the county about $250,000. That number is likely to go up, because many employees are not on the official list yet. Larry Keeton, department of community development director is on the list, volunteering to give away two days a month this year, saving the county about $10,800.
Elsewhere in the state ferry employees agreed to forgo their raises. Other state employees are not yet agreeing to that.
In California the furloughs are not by choice and are scheduled to last until midway through 2011.
The band-aid approach to solving financial problems.
If “Builder” is a contractor, doesn’t he lay off or cut back hours and salaries on his employees?