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With an influx of reporting on the topic of sequestration and civilian furloughs hitting our email boxes every day, many have become utterly confused and have a 1,001 questions.
What is it? How does it affect me and my office? My civilians have to take a day of unpaid leave every week, why?
We recently sat down with Maggie Montano, 86 Airlift Wing furlough team chief, to ask her the top questions on everyone’s mind.
JA: Good morning ma’am. Let’s get straight to business. Why are civilians being furloughed? And furthermore, what is a furlough?
MM: A furlough places an employee in a temporary non-duty, non-pay status because of lack of work, reduction or lack of funds, or other non-disciplinary reason. Under the current circumstances, planned furloughs may be required due to the reduction in funding associated with sequestration. Extensive information is available at www.opm.gov/furlough, click on “Guidance for Administrative Furloughs” and “Supplemental Guidance for Administrative Furloughs.”
JA: I’ve heard people around base calling it a “day off.” Is that an accurate way to look at it?
MM: Since employees may not work on their furlough days some employees may see it as a day off but it’s important they remember they will not receive compensation for it.
JA: Getting down in the weeds for a minute. I’m a civilian, how do I mark this on my timecard if I’ve been furloughed for a day?
MM: Furlough time off is coded in the Automated Time Attendance and Production Program as KE. (I don’t know how DoDEA would annotate their furlough time).
JA: During the past so-called government shutdowns in 1995 and 1996, furloughed civilians were paid retroactively for their lost days. Can they expect something like that this time?
MM: Sequestration and resulting furloughs will affect the civilian workforce differently than a lapse of appropriations (government shutdown). There is no provision for employees to receive retroactive compensation at this time and employees should not plan to receive retroactive compensation.
JA: Is this a punishment for civilians or is everyone being asked to chip in to take the financial hit?
MM: No. The Department of Defense is directing furloughs because if they did not, they would have to make even larger cuts in training and maintenance; cuts that were judged would heighten the already significant risk that sequestration poses to our national security.
JA: Wow, that sounds like we are going through some pretty tough times. How long will these tough times last for?
MM: The furlough will run from July 8 to September 30.
JA: What about next fiscal year? Will the furloughs continue?
MM: DoD is currently executing their FY13 budget with sequestration. No decisions have been made on how sequestration will affect operations and personnel management in FY14. Our fervent hope remains that Congress will detrigger sequestration
JA: Should our readers expect to see any reduction in services around base in the foreseeable future?
MM: Our Airmen, civilians and their families are important to us. The 86th Airlift Wing is doing everything reasonable to continue to provide outstanding services to our community. There are no plans at the present time to limit CDC hours or to curtail youth instructional programs or other family support programs. Should any services need to be adjusted, we will ensure that the affected members of the public are informed in advance. Together, we will get through this difficult period, intelligently balancing our requirements with our resources.
JA: If I’m having difficulty with understanding all this stuff, is there a number or a point of contact on base that I can get in touch with to ask additional questions?
MM: You can contact my team in the 86th FSS Employee Management Relations Office, Ms. Reisa Tidwell (480-7608), Ms. Sherryl Benning (478-6714) or myself (478-6707).
JA: Thank you for your time ma’am. I appreciate the straightforward answers and I’m sure this is going to help many of our readers understand the difficulties that we all face.
Important information for Civilians affected by DoD Furloughs
With the Department of Defense announcement of Civilian Administrative Furloughs beginning July 8, 2013, the 86th Airlift Wing is providing information for all Air Force personnel in the Kaiserslautern Military Community.
Go to www.ramstein.af.mil and click on the “Civilian Furlough Information” graphic to receive important reference items or contact 86th Force Support Squadron Employee Management Relations Office personnel for all furlough questions:
Maggie Montano
DSN: 478-6707
CIV: 06371-43-6707
Reisa Tidwell
DSN: 480-7608
CIV: 06371-47-7608
Sherryl Benning
DSN: 478-6714
CIV: 06371-43-6714
