Facing a burgeoning budget deficit, which is not helped by the state of the global economy, the Miami University board of trustees has approved a furlough policy for potential future use. The policy allows the university to compel any employee to take up to five days or 40 hours of unpaid leave. The editorial board of The Miami Student supports the taking of such steps, so that if the need arises, the university will be prepared to handle the situation. It is better to have a policy ready and not need it than to need a policy and not have one.
Adopting such a policy is preferable to laying off workers or cutting programs. Even as a temporary solution, the measure could potentially save the university $2.5 million ("University senate discusses plan for possible furlough," Sept. 1). Given Miami's finances, the estimated savings shouldn't be ignored. Also to recommend the policy, furloughed employees will still have health insurance and can still accrue vacation time during their leave.
As a caution, the furlough policy should be implemented only as a last resort. If it is implemented, though the policy allows employees to come into work on a purely voluntary basis, those employees who have had their pay suspended should not feel pressured to do so. Furthermore, the policy requires the university to inform employees 30 days in advance of enforcing the policy. Miami must be sure to give sufficient notification as early as possible to allow affected employees to budget. Because the policy includes all employees, both staff and faculty could be furloughed. The university must consider how the policy will affect the two groups differently and act accordingly. Those who live paycheck to paycheck will feel the negative impact of unpaid leave far more heavily than higher salaried employees. Still, a balance must be struck so those who can bear the brunt of the burden do not bear it in its entirety. Although the policy states that classification and salary level can influence who is furloughed, such information must be taken into account.
We support the university policy of not furloughing faculty on teaching days to eliminate adverse effects to student academics. Students in turn should support faculty if they are furloughed and understand they may not be available on non-teaching days. As the university acts to solve its budget crisis, it must keep in mind that decisions, such as implementing a furlough policy, affect individuals on a human scale in a real way.
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