Human Resources

Your pay has been reinstated to pre-furlough salary effective March 1, however, pay advices for 9-month contract faculty will not reflect the pre-furlough salary. The contract amount on your March pay advice through the end of the current contract period is a calculated rate combining the portion of the year at the furloughed salary and the portion of the year at the non-furloughed salary.

Faculty on 9-month contracts across the CU system use a 180 working day base for the Academic Year, divided between the Fall and Spring semesters (90 days per semester). The CU Denver campus was under furloughs for the Fall semester (90 days) and 35 days of the Spring Semester or a total of 125 days out of 180 working days. As of March 1, 2021 there were 55 working days remaining in the spring semester, the March monthly pay advice reflects restoration to your pre-furlough salary for these 55 working days. A contract payroll expert at Employee Services assisted the campus in the recalculation methodology:

• Fall 2020 salary = Furlough Salary/2
• Daily rate = salary/180
• Spring salary = (furloughed daily rate x 35 days) + (non-furlough daily rate x 55 days)

Example:

• Academic Year Salary prior to furlough: $70,000
• Furlough salary = $66,780 (with a 4.6% salary reduction)

1. Fall 2020 salary = $66,780/2 = $33,390
2. Furlough daily rate = $66,780/180 = $371
3. Non-furlough daily rate = $70,000/180 = $388.89
4. Spring 2021 = ($371 x 35) + ($388.89 x 55); $12,985 + $21,388.95 = $34,373.95

Total new contract amount = Fall 2020 $33,390 + Spring 2021 $34,373.95 = $67,763

University Staff or Faculty with annual salaries under $60,000 were not impacted by the CU Denver Campus COVID-19 Graduated Furlough Plan, these categories of employees will continue to earn their regular salaries. Furthermore, Classified staff cannot be mandatorily furloughed without action from the governor and/or legislature, which did not occur.

At this time, we don’t plan to implement a CU Denver Campus Furlough Plan in Fiscal Year 2021-22, but we can’t guarantee this. CU Denver’s furlough plan demonstrates the shared sacrifices approach we took to addressing the largest financial challenge in the history of the university. While we are pleased to be lifting furloughs before the end of the fiscal year, we must be prepared to address changing financial conditions and need to have all tools at our disposal.

Per Administrative Policy Statement (APS) 5062: Furloughs are unpaid leaves that may be voluntarily requested or mandated by the president or a chancellor when budgetary circumstances require a specific reduction in personnel costs. A furlough results in day(s) off without pay. Furloughs can be taken in daily, weekly or monthly increments. Employees on furlough continue to accrue annual and sick leave at the same rates as when such employees are on paid leave or engaged in university work during regularly scheduled business hours.

Furlough days are being allocated by salary range as indicated in the chart.

Salary Range	Number of Furlough Days to be taken July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021	Estimated effective percent of pay reduction via furlough
Below $60,000	0	0%
$60,000 - $89,999*	12	4.6%
$90,000 - $119,999	16	6.1%
$120,000 - $149,999	20	7.7%
$150,000 - $179,999	24	9.2%
Above - $180,000	26	10%

*Individuals in this range will not be impacted below an effective annual salary of $60,000

Classified staff cannot be mandatorily furloughed without action from the governor and/or legislature. The State of Colorado announced through an Executive Order that institutions of higher education would have discretion to implement limited furlough plans for Classified Staff. The CU system has made the decision not to pursue a furlough program for Classified staff at this time.

Employees will not need to enter their furlough time via MyLeave. The HR Business Partner for your school, college, consolidated unit or department will make sure that your furlough time is set up in CU Time or other systems, as appropriate based on the schedule agreed upon with your supervisor. More information will be provided regarding the process for furlough recording.

The United States Department of Labor Regulations (20 CFR 655.731) does not allow the salary used for prevailing wage documentation of these employees to be reduced through a mandatory furlough. Please contact the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office for additional clarification.

Some units may have operations that require a differentiated furlough schedule, where a percentage of employees may be on continuous furlough and others on an intermittent furlough. This would be based on business need and individual duties, please consult your supervisor for more information.

More information on mental health and wellness resources can be found on the Employee Services website.

If you are furloughed you MAY be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Please follow the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) links below for more information.

Unemployment

Yes. Furlough days and the effective pay reduction are allocated by the salary range as indicated in the chart below.

Salary Range	Number of Furlough Days to be taken for 9-month Contract Faculty	Estimated effective percent of pay reduction via furlough
Below $60,000	0	0%
$60,000 - $89,999*	8	4.6%
$90,000 - $119,999	11	6.1%
$120,000 - $149,999	14	7.7%
$150,000 - $179,999	17	9.2%
Above - $180,000	18	10%

*Individuals in this range will not be impacted below an effective annual salary of $60,000.

A furlough is unpaid leave and is not a reduction in percent of time (FTE). While you are not to work or perform job duties during your furlough time, units are expected to develop plans to ensure continuity of work and productivity to the extent possible while the Furlough Program is in place.

University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver | Anschutz

Locations

Tools

Schools and Colleges

CU Denver

CU Anschutz Medical Campus

Human Resources

When will I see my previous salary restored?

I am a 9-month contract faculty member, why does the salary on my pay advice not reflect pre-furlough salary?

How was the furlough lift calculated for 9-month contract faculty?

How are employees earning an annual salary under $60,000 impacted by this decision?

What if my unit had specific furlough arrangements different than the CU Denver Campus COVID-19 Graduated Furlough Plan?

Where can I get more information about what lifting the furloughs means to me?

Does lifting furloughs now mean we won’t have furloughs in the future?

What is a Furlough?

How many days will I be furloughed?

Can Classified Staff be Furloughed?

Will new hires or expected hires after July 1 be subject to furloughs?

Does taking a furlough affect my health benefits?

Will the plan affect an employee's retirement contribution?

Can a furloughed employee utilize the tuition benefit?

Am I entitled to unemployment benefits to cover the loss of pay due to the furlough plan?

How is my furlough time recorded?

Does my supervisor have to approve when I take a furlough day?

Can I use my earned leave instead of taking a furlough day?

Will taking a furlough day affect my leave accrual?

How will the furlough be calculated if I am less than 100% time (1.0 FTE)?

Can an employee authorized for work through an H-1B visa participate in a mandatory furlough?

Am I expected to perform work while on furlough?

Does an employee have grievance rights regarding the furlough or temporary salary reduction?

Will employees paid on Sponsored Projects or other external (non-state fund) sources be impacted?

Will the length of service date be affected as a result of a furlough?

Will mandatory furloughs guarantee that layoffs or other employment reductions will not occur?

What if I am on an approved leave of absence during this furlough period or leave under Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)?

Are there any deviations for this furlough plan?

What supportive services are offered to furloughed employees?

Are 9-month faculty impacted by furloughs?

How will my duties and workload be reduced due to furloughs?

Will 9-month contract faculty be able to take their furlough on teaching days?

Will furlough days for 9-month contract faculty be taken over the academic year if a faculty member opts to have their salary spread over 12 months rather than 9 months?

I am a faculty member with an administrative appointment (example: Chair, Program Director, etc.) or an additional work assignment (example: teaching overload), how will these appointments/additional pay situations be impacted?

Human Resources