Furloughs at Fermilab

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Latest Furlough Questions & Answers

Answers to questions (posted on February 20, 2008)

General

Rumor has it that some Fermilab employees don't have to take furlough time because they are already understaffed. If all employees have to take furlough, how can these workers be exempt?

Only people who are first responders in emergency situations, the Comm Center and the Fire Department, have been exempted for the safety of the laboratory.

Will associates selected for layoff all be notified at the same time?

The current thinking is that people will be notified in a very close timeframe.

I have three questions about the Reduction in Force (RIF) process. 1. Other than severance pay, what is the difference between retiring and being RIFed? What retirement benefits would I lose by being RIFed rather than retiring? 2. Can a person who is RIFed receive unemployment compensation? 3. I understand that a spouse retains her medical insurance if I retire. What about eligible children?

1. If you are RIFed and if you are eligible to retire, then you can also retire. It would be considered a RIF retirement. You could not run out your vacation, but you would be paid out for it. You would be eligible for retiree medical.
2. Only the State of Illinois makes a determination about who will receive unemployment. But our general understanding is that if you are RIFed and you retire, you may still be eligible. A factor in your eligibility might be when you choose to start receiving payments from your retirement funds. Please consult your local office of the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
3. You are correct that you can continue to take dependent coverage under retiree medical. This would cover a spouse as well as eligible children.

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Scheduling Furlough Days

If I take furlough on the week where the following Monday is a paid holiday (say the week before Memorial Day), is that holiday still a paid day off?

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