Furlough Policy

All Officers of Administration, Non-Union Support Staff, all Human Resource staff, and Senior Business Managers.

In consultation with Human Resources, schools and departments may elect to furlough staff for a period of up to 6 months to achieve the cost-savings required by an unexpected loss of funding or other budgetary constraints.

• A furloughed employee will not accrue seniority while on unpaid leave beyond the month in which they are furloughed.  A furlough may be deemed a break in service for purposes of certain benefit plans.  Please refer to the applicable plan.
• A furloughed employee will not accrue vacation, personal or other leave while on furlough.

The employee may elect at any time during their furlough to receive a payout of all accrued vacation and personal days. Payouts of vacation and personal days must be approved by and coordinated with the employee’s department. There is no payout of sick days. No salary advance will be available.

No salaries, wages, bonuses, or payments of any kind will be made to employees on furlough.

All benefits-eligible employees may continue certain insurance benefit coverages during a furlough through a direct billing arrangement with the third-party billing administrator, Employee Benefit Plan Administrators, Inc. (EBPA). EBPA will bill for continuation of coverage for Medical, Dental, Optional Vision, Optional Long-Term Disability, Optional Term Life Insurance and/or Dependent Life Insurance.  Employee benefits contributions will be charged at the employee’s regular rate for the period of the furlough of up to 6 months, with the exception of Basic Life Insurance which is continued at no cost.  Upon return from furlough, benefits will be reinstated in accordance with the terms of the plans.

Healthcare Flexible Spending Accounts may continue to be accessed during the calendar year in which the furlough begins.

Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, the Child Care Benefit, and Transit/Parking Reimbursement Program accounts are suspended during a furlough. No claims may be submitted for expenses incurred during this period.

Tuition Programs. If an employee is using Tuition Exemption during the term in which they go on furlough, the employee may continue using the benefit for that term. The employee will not be granted Tuition Exemption for any subsequent term until they return from the furlough. Dependents will continue to qualify for Tuition Exemption, College Tuition Scholarship and Primary Tuition Scholarship during the entirety of a furlough period.

Retirement Plans. During a furlough, the University will not make contributions to an employee’s University core or matching contribution accounts (if applicable).  Employees are also ineligible to make contributions to their Voluntary Retirement Plan account. In addition, the time the employee was on a furlough will not count towards credited service time for retirement or retiree medical benefits if the furlough extends beyond 30 days.            

Voluntary Benefits. Voluntary Benefit carriers will bill the employee directly to continue coverage, with the exception of MetLife (Auto/Home, Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal) as EBPA will bill for continuation of coverage for these MetLife programs. 

One Pass Select Fitness Program. Membership may continue.

Medical Leave, Disability, LTD and Paid Family Leave- Please contact leave management at [email protected] for information regarding any of these leaves.

Conflicts: The benefits described in this summary are set forth in formal plan documents and insurance policies (if applicable).  If there is a conflict between the benefits described in this policy and the formal plan document and/or insurance policy, the formal plan document and/or insurance policy will control.  The University reserves the right to amend, terminate, or suspend any of the benefits described in this policy to the extent permitted by law. An amendment, termination or suspension may occur without the consent or and without prior notice to any active or former employee.  If you would like copies of formal plan documents or insurance policies, contact Sara Leupp, Executive Director, Benefits, [email protected].

Employees on furlough are not expected to perform any work for Columbia and will not receive a wage or salary. This includes doing any work for the University such as answering email or responding to phone calls. Incidental contact to redirect a manager or co-worker to the appropriate point of contact or needed business record and/or other nominal tasks necessary for business continuity purposes may be appropriate. Furloughed employees are, however, free to work outside of the University while on furlough.