TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona announced temporary pay cuts and furloughs to its 15,000 employees Friday morning as its campus remains shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an email to all staff and faculty, UArizona President Robert Robbins announced the changes, which vary in effect depending on employees' salary.
Here are the graded pay cuts, taken verbatim from Robbins's email:
- For those within the salary bands up to $44,449 a year, a furlough of 13 days to be taken over time
- For those within the salary bands of $44,500 to $75,000 a year, a furlough of 26 days to be taken over time
- For those within the salary bands of $75,001 to $150,000 a year, a furlough of 39 days to be taken over time
- For those within the salary bands of $150,001 to $199,999 a year, a straight salary reduction of 17%
- For those within the salary bands of $200,000 or more a year, a salary reduction of 20%
According to a website the university has set up to explain the changes, UArizona employees will take their furlough over each pay period, depending on salary.
Robbins said employees would retain all benefits, including health care. The pay cuts and furloughs will begin on May 11, 2020, and last until June 30, 2021.
The University of Arizona is the state's largest employer, according to CareerOneStop.org.
Robbins said their models project a loss of $250 million in the university's budget due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including $66 million by the end of this fiscal year on June 30. The pay cut and furlough plan is projected to save the university $93 million over its 15-month time frame.
The university will also go on a hiring pause and delay plans for merit increases, to save a projected $26 million. Robbins himself and other senior vice presidents at the university took pay cuts last month.
But those aren't the only cuts to the UArizona budget, Robbins's email said. They're also scaling back new construction, a 2020 Strategic plan will be put on hold, totaling a projected savings of $29 million.
Click here for more details from UArizona about the furloughs and pay cuts.
