COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – For the past fourteen years in an effort to reduce utility costs, Branch County has authorized the use of employee furlough days that are generally piggybacked before or after a holiday. Those could soon become a thing of the past if the Board of Commissioners take up a recommendation from County Administrator Frank Walsh at their next scheduled meeting.
Walsh will be recommending the commissioners eliminate all future furlough days. He says “While he can appreciate the effort to save money on utility costs, there is very little equity in the program”. He says “hourly workers are forced to use personal time to cover a furlough day while salaried team members are provided a day off without using any personal time”.
The county still has two furlough days scheduled for 2025, November 10th and December 26th.
Walsh says if the county does continue with the furlough days it might make sense to create a uniform approach of how they account for the time away.
That Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.
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