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OKDHS Withdraws July Furlough Start

 

OKDHS employees breathed a sigh of relief recently as Director Howard Hendrick briefed employees on the budget situation. “I do not intend to recommend the previously proposed July 16th start of an agency-wide furlough plan,” Director Hendrick said in his June 4th e-mail to OKDHS employees.

 

Hendrick cautioned against false optimism as the budget situation for OKDHS is tenuous at best. “Projected revenues for 2011 could fail as they did in 2010. Since we don’t know what will happen, we can’t take furoughs completely off the table during the upcoming fiscal year.”

 

OPEA applauded the announcement but also expressed concerns about the budget situation. “We are certainly pleased that the furlough situation is lessoned by the budget agreement,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley. “I believe that OKDHS and OPEA worked very well together in achieving an appropriations level that is manageable if the state revenue picture holds.”

 

Posted on Fri, June 4, 2010 by Scott Barger

7 comments (Add your own)

1. dj wrote:
they are just post poning it though.

Fri, June 4, 2010 @ 2:29 PM

2. Kris wrote:
I was so looking forward to having every Friday off, but at least we can move on with our lives at this time.

Fri, June 4, 2010 @ 5:10 PM

3. Member for Life wrote:
Director Hendrick will probably give his top manangers big pay increase just like he did a couple of years ago but I do appreciate OPEA fighting for a good budget and against the privatization of our jobs.

Fri, June 4, 2010 @ 5:25 PM

4. MJ wrote:
I hear some complaining about possibly taking a furlough day. It was one day a month proposed. People need to think about whether they want a reduction-in-force as SORC in Pauls Valley just had or share the burden and people keep their jobs and benefits while still having the same number of employees to serve their clients.

Fri, June 4, 2010 @ 11:33 PM

5. db wrote:
I personally would have rather experienced a furlough then to keep taking people out of the county offices on VOBOS and create more work for the people left. They are not going to let us replace any of those people for 1-3 years. A furlough where I'm off every friday seems much more appealing then to continue to ask me to carry multiple case loads with this little pay...The email I received from Director Hendricks stated he was going to offer additional VOBOS. If they take even one more person out of our office the case loads will be unmanageable.

Sun, June 6, 2010 @ 9:00 AM

6. MJ wrote:
I agree db, if you don't want to lose your job or see your co-worker laid off when the money runs out you should voice that now. We had been preparing to take a furlough day and now they talk about a possible delay. It appears the money is still going to be very tight so why delay a savings to DHS once again while taking the risk of job losses later. Lets share the burden!

Mon, June 7, 2010 @ 10:04 PM

7. dj wrote:
Larry Johnson, Director of Field Operations for DHS is said to say furloughs are going to happen anyway, any news on that?

Tue, June 8, 2010 @ 4:10 PM

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