Concept of furlough takes on new meaning in deepening recession.Byline: The Register Guard The recession is introducing a new generation of workers to the concept of "furlough fur·lough n. 1. a. A leave of absence or vacation, especially one granted to a member of the armed forces. b. A usually temporary layoff from work. c. ." A temporary, short-term Short-term Any investments with a maturity of one year or less. short-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss on the value of an asset that has been held less than a specified period of time. layoff Layoff 1. When a company eliminates jobs regardless of how good the employees' performance. 2. A risk reduction, made by investment bankers, that minimizes the potential downside associated with a commitment to purchase and sell a stock issue unsubscribed by stockholders holding , furloughs are used by employers to cut costs and/or and/or conj. Used to indicate that either or both of the items connected by it are involved. Usage Note: And/or is widely used in legal and business writing. forestall fore·stall tr.v. fore·stalled, fore·stall·ing, fore·stalls 1. To delay, hinder, or prevent by taking precautionary measures beforehand. See Synonyms at prevent. 2. permanent job cuts. Over the years, workers in the local RV industry have grown accustomed to taking off one or two weeks in December each year for a holiday furlough. Last December, however, the furloughs took on a different, more uncertain tone. Monaco Coach Corp.'s furlough began Dec. 15 and was supposed to end Jan. 12, but has been extended three times. Country Coach workers went on holiday furlough in early December. But, before the month was out, the company said it would close for good by the end of February unless it obtained new financing. Wood products companies also have traditionally furloughed workers during slow periods. Any worker who loses his or her job through no fault of their own - whether because of a furlough or a conventional layoff - is entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: to unemployment benefits, said Craig Spivey, spokesman for the Oregon Oregon, city, United States Oregon, city (1990 pop. 18,334), Lucas co., NW Ohio, a suburb adjacent to Toledo, on Lake Erie; inc. 1958. It is a port with railroad-owned and -operated docks. The city has industries producing oil, chemicals, and metal products. Employment Department. Anyone who files for unemployment is eligible for 26 weekly payments over a 52-week period, he said. In addition, Congress has approved extensions that would provide up to another 53 weeks of unemployment benefits, he said. Employees who lose their jobs should file for unemployment as soon as possible, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the state Unemployment Insurance Division, because the initial application can only be backdated one week. If, for example, someone waits a month to file, in the hope of finding work or being called back by their employer, they will only be able to collect unemployment for the one week prior to when they filed. How medical coverage is handled when workers are furloughed may vary. At Monaco, for example, the company extended medical coverage to its furloughed employees. Country Coach did not, its employees said. In recent months, as the recession has deepened, the use of furloughs has spread beyond the industries that traditionally employed them during down times. Notably, employers in the newspaper industry - as well as local and state government agencies are now using furloughs to save money. At the Register-Guard, some of the union-represented employees, and its managers, are taking five furlough days by the end of May as part of a larger package of wage and benefit concessions sought by the company in an effort to cut costs and avoid layoffs. - Tim Christie |
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