EEOC had previously told employees that a one-day furlough could be necessary due to a budget shortfall. designer491 / Getty Images
EEOC averts the threat of a one-day furlough
Chair Charlotte Burrows said in a statement that the agency found enough savings to avoid furloughing employees on Aug. 30.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday announced that employees will no longer need to be furloughed for one day at the end of the month due to a lack of funding.
“Through the combined efforts of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, EEOC’s senior leaders and EEOC employees, the agency has accrued sufficient savings to eliminate the need for a furlough on August 30, 2024,” Chair Charlotte A. Burrows said in a statement. “I am grateful to EEOC employees for their patience during this process and their continued dedication to protecting the civil rights of America’s workers.”
EEOC had told employees that a one-day furlough could be possible due to a budget shortfall largely created by the 5.2% pay raise for federal employees without an accompanying funding increase for the agency.
The agency previously announced that it had limited hiring, cut travel and delayed long-term projects to generate savings.
Burrows did not elaborate on where the savings came from to avert the furlough, but previously promised to “continue to look for alternative sources of savings,” as well as increase efficiencies and accrue more cost savings for the agency.
Congress provided EEOC with $455 million for fiscal 2024, which was the same level as fiscal 2023. Looking ahead, the fiscal 2025 House bill would cut the appropriation to $420 million while the Senate measure would fund the agency at its request of $488.2 million.
EEOC in 2013 required workers to take five days of unpaid leave due to budget cuts under sequestration.