Workforce

EEOC will not have to furlough employees

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told employees that it had saved enough money to keep the agency open instead of having to do a one-day furlough.

Jason Miller@jmillerWFED

August 20, 2024 2:58 pm

1 min read

Employees at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will not have to worry about a furlough after all.

The agency announced today it had saved enough money to be able to rescind the planned one-day furlough on Aug. 30.

“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 Aug. 30,” said Charlotte Burrows, the chairwoman of the EEOC, in an email 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.”

The agency warned employees on July 30 that a furlough was possible because of budget shortfalls. It said a combination of a flat budget for fiscal 2024, the 5.2% pay raise and higher overall operating costs are putting the agency in a tough budget spot.

EEOC said its payroll is about $1.3 million a day and it previously warned it would not have enough money to get through the rest of fiscal 2024, thus requiring the one-day furlough.

The EEOC received $455 million from Congress for this year after requesting $481 million.

For 2025, the EEOC requested $488.2 million. House lawmakers reduced EEOC’s budget even further, allocating $420 million, which is $35 million below 2024 and $68 million below the request. The Senate, meanwhile, approved the White House’s request of $488 million for 2025.

A furlough would’ve impacted more than 2,300 employees, according to the EEOC’s contingency plan in case of a lapsed appropriations.