Memo: CAL FIRE Furlough plan released

State of California Natural Resources Agency
M e m o r a n d u m
To: ALL CAL FIRE EMPLOYEES Date: February 4,2009
Telephone: (91 6) 653-7772
Website: www.fire.ca.gov
From: RUBEN GRIALVA, Director California Dd p artment of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Subject: FURLOUGH IMPLEMENTATION
As you are aware, all State departments to implement a two-day furlough of all State
employees in an effort to partially address the current fiscal crisis. Unless directed
otherwise, furloughs are to begin on February 6, 2009, and will continue for 17 months
through June 2010.
Below is information we have received so far on how the furlough program will be
implemented. Please keep in mind the information could be modified as the
Administration progresses with the implementation of the furlough program.

OFFICE CLOSURES
CAL FlRE adrr~inistrativeo ffices (Headquarters' Offices, Region Offices, Unit
Headquarters and the Academy administrative office) will be closed to the public on the
specified furlough dates. With a few exceptions, all employees will be furloughed on the
first and third Friday of the month beginning February 6, 2009.

PAY REDUCTION
Effective with the beginning of the February pay period (January 30, 2009), all
errlployees will receive a pay reductioli of 9.23 percent of their base salary. State and
Federal taxes will be calculated on the reduced amount however, the reduction will not
affect retirement contributions or pay differentials that might be received such as
Extended Duty Pay or Bilingual Pay. The overtime pay rate will not be affected as well.

FURLOUGH CREDITS
Full-time employees will receive 16 furlough hours at the beginning of each pay period.
Intermittent and part-time employees will receive a pro-rated amount of furlough hours
(e.g. a half time employee will receive eight hours instead of 16 ho1.1rs). A pro-rated
schedule will be published in the near future on the CAL FlRE Intranet.
Employees furloughed the first or third Friday of each month, will show the appropriate
furlough hours on their timesheet on the furlough days.
Employees in classifications approved to participate in an alternate furlough plan, as
identified below, will bank their furlough hours and will use them at a later date similar to
vacation or annual leave hours. The hours used will be shown on the timesheet on the
actual days used.
Furlough hours that cannot be used within the same month must be taken within 24
months following the end of the furlough program. Furlough hours will not be cashed
out if an employee retires or separates.
ALTERNATE FURLOUGH PLAN
The Department has an approved alternate furlough plan for specific classifications.
Under this plan, the salary reduction will take place beginning with the February 2009,
pay period. However, employees will not be furloughed on the first and third Fridays of
the month. Each employee approved to participate in this plan will receive the
appropriate amount of furlough hours to be taken at a later date.
Approved classifications for the alternate furlough plan are:
Classifications identified in Sections 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 of the Bargaining Unit 8
(BU 8) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Air Operations Officers
Communication Operators
Academy kitchen staff and Custodians
Err~ployeesin Section 8.4 of the BU 8 MOU, with the exception of Air Operations
Officers, on a 40-hour duty week will be furloughed on the first and third Friday of the
month.

MANAGERS. SUPERVISORS, AND EXEMPT EMPLOYEES IN FIRE PROTECTION POSITIONS
Individual Units or Headquarters' Offices shall determine by operational need the
utilization of either 'the designated furlough days or the alternate furlough plan.

OVERTIME
For employees in classifications that are designated Work Week Group 2, hours on the
furlough days (first and third Friday of the month) will not count toward the 40-hour
threshold for overtime purposes. Additional hours worked during the furlough week will
be compensated as straight time until all hours worked reach 40 for the work week.
Overtime for BU 8 employees will not be affected.

ALTERNATE WORK WEEK SCHEDULES
Direction on the management of alternate workweek schedules will be released in the
near future. However, alternate workweek schedules will not routinely be cancelled.

RETIRED ANNUITANTS
Information onhow the furlough program will affect retired annuitants will be released in
the near future.

BANKING FURLOUGH CREDITS
For employees in classifications approved to participate in the alternate furlough plan,
furlough credits not taken as leave during the month "earned" will be accrued, and are
required to be used within 24 months of the end of the furlough program. Per the
Department of Personnel Administration, all unused furlough credits existing 24 months
after the end of the furlough program will be lost. Furlough hours will not be cashed out
if an employee retires or separates.
Pursuant to Section 10.2 of the BU8 MOU, BU 8 employees may request to take their
furlough hours off in a manner consistent with first-come, first-serve vacation requests.
The conversion schedules for vacation and annual leave will apply to BU 8 employees
that work either a 72 or 84 hour duty week.
In the event of a fire emergency, CAL FIRE must have the ability to self-implement the
alternative furlough plan for all Departmental employees.
I understand there will be a significant number of questions regarding the
implementation of the furlough program. The Labor and Human Resources Office will
be posting a question and answer document on the CAL FlRE lntranet in the near
future. Once this information is posted, employees will be notified. Additional
information, as it becomes available, will also be provided.