TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Many Workers Adding 'Furlough' To Vocabulary

ADVERTISEMENT

By KRISTA KLAUS

kklaus@wfla.com

Published: March 14, 2009

TAMPA - The public lexicon is changing as the economic downturn lingers.

Phrases such as "stimulus package," "bankruptcy cram-down" and "mortgage modification" weren't in vogue a year ago. Now there's another newly familiar phrase: "forced furlough."

"This is the first time we have even heard the word furlough," said Yvonne Lyons, executive director of the union that represents Hillsborough County teachers.

The county's school district is considering forcing teachers to take a two-day furlough this year to save money.

It isn't alone. More companies are using short-term unpaid leave. Media General Inc., which owns The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8, announced last month that employees will take 10 days off without pay this year.

The silver lining if you find yourself furloughed in Florida is that you may be entitled to unemployment compensation. The maximum benefit is $300 a week.

Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation spokesman Robby Cunningham said furloughed employees fall under the same category as other terminated workers when it comes to receiving unemployment benefits.

Keyword: Furlough to determine your eligibility for unemployment.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT