Campus holiday, furlough closings detailed

The University of Wisconsin–Madison will close on Wednesday, Dec. 30 as a mandated furlough day for most of its employees, and will also be closed on Thursday, Dec. 31 and Friday, Jan. 1 for the New Year’s holiday.

Additionally, the university will be closed for the previously scheduled holidays on Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25.

The unpaid furlough day on Dec. 30 is one of 16 required of state employees during the 2009-11 budget cycle. In each budget year, university employees must take eight furlough days, four of which are designated campuswide with the remaining four being selected based on employee preference.

Per state statute and UW System furlough guidelines, employees won’t get paid for a holiday if they are not in pay status the last scheduled work day before or the first scheduled work day after a paid holiday.

Thus, when an employee takes the Dec. 30 mandated furlough day and decides to take Monday, Jan. 4 off, they need to cover this absence with paid leave (vacation, personal holiday, etc.) or they won’t get paid for New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) or New Year’s Day (Jan. 1).

In addition, Dec. 30 is a classified employee pay date. For those employees who do not have direct deposit, their paycheck can be picked up at the 21 North Park drive-up window from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 30.

This is the second scheduled campuswide furlough day of this academic year. The remaining designated furlough days are Friday, April 2, and Friday, May 21. The dates were chosen to avoid interfering with any instruction and to minimize disruption for the university community.

On these days, the campus will be closed for all but essential services. Exceptions will be made for critical services in such areas as patient care, police, power plant, housing and animal care.

Also, the Memorial Union will close for winter break on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 6 p.m. and reopen at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6.

However, for new campus staff or students needing to obtain photo IDs, the building will be accessible on Jan. 4 and 5 from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.   Building managers will be monitoring locked entrances to let in individuals needing to get their photo ID.  No other amenities will be available in Memorial Union until it reopens.