WVU to furlough nearly 900 employees
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University announced Friday it will temporarily furlough nearly 900 employees later this month.
In a letter to staff Thursday and a press release sent Friday, Rob Alsop, vice president of strategic initiatives for WVU, announced approximately 875 employees would be furloughed beginning May 24 for a projected savings of about $4 million.
The affected employees were contacted Friday, according to officials, and will continue their benefits during the furlough. The furloughs would remain in effect until June 28 or July 26, “depending on operational needs,” Alsop said.
Officials said the furloughs are only at the university and do not affect employees of WVU Medicine.
The temporary furloughs are due to the spread of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, and a shutdown of schools and colleges campuses throughout the state and country.
“West Virginia University must continue to limit our on-campus operations for the foreseeable future to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19,” Alsop said. “We have determined it is necessary for the University to move forward with a temporary furlough program for designated staff based on our current financial conditions and operational needs.”
Alsop said officials believe all furloughed employees will be back at work by the end of July.
“I can assure you we did not take the decision to move forward with a temporary furlough program lightly,” he said. “We truly believe our people are what sets our university apart, which is why this decision was so difficult.
“However, I am also confident this decision is necessary to ensure the financial sustainability of our institution,” Alsop said.
Those employees furloughed are not connected to the academic operation of WVU, Alsop said, and the summer academic programs will not be affected.
Over the coming weeks, Alsop said, WVU would be monitoring their expenditures and revenue to determine if further furloughs or layoffs would be necessary into the fall semester. However, as of Friday, Alsop said they were preparing to hold fall classes.
“Right now, we’re planning for the fall,” he said. “Depending on how (things develop), how our other revenue streams are, … and if our expenses are expected to exceed our revenues, more cuts will be needed.”