Pedri
                                 File photo

Pedri

File photo

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Luzerne County government has started developing a plan for potential layoffs that could take effect later this month, according to an email county Manager C. David Pedri sent to council last week.

Before imposing mandatory layoffs, the county plans to offer employees in nonessential offices the option to take voluntary furloughs starting April 17, the email said.

If non-voluntary layoffs are still warranted, the impacted employees would stop working after April 23, Pedri wrote, noting both dates were selected based on payroll periods.

The administration is reviewing both union and nonunion positions for potential furloughs.

Pedri told council the administration started conversations about potential layoffs Thursday with unions representing non-essential workers.

Decisions about layoffs are “incredibly difficult” but may be necessary, he wrote.

”Due to the extraordinary events of the COVID-19 pandemic, the county has determined that a reduced workforce will help to maintain employee health and safety as well as meet the economic challenges that the coming months will bring,” Pedri wrote.

Because planning is still in the preliminary stages, the administration cannot provide a list of impacted positions, he said, promising to provide updates to council.

The state recently informed nearly 9,000 state employees in jobs that cannot be completely remotely that it will stop paying them, providing the option for them to use vacation or other accrued days to continue getting paid or to file for unemployment.

Several Pennsylvania counties have imposed layoffs, citing an expected revenue decrease due to the coronavirus and temporary declines in work duties as some non-essential services are suspended or scaled back to reduce human contact, according to published reports.

Among the counties that announced layoffs to date, based on news reports: Berks, Carbon, Dauphin, York and Westmoreland.

In response to Pedri’s email, county Councilman Walter Griffith asked Pedri if employees interested in a voluntary furlough can collect unemployment and exhaust all their paid time off.

Pedri said the county is not requiring employees to use their accrued time. On the question of unemployment, Pedri said county human resources was informed by a County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania attorney that an employee is eligible for unemployment if they take a voluntary layoff.

“Obviously, we cannot make any representations regarding unemployment eligibility, but they should be able to collect,” Pedri wrote.

Pedri had informed county council at its last virtual meeting March 31 that he had asked human resources to start reviewing potential layoffs. However, he said there were no firm plans at that time based on the “success of remote working.”

Griffith had raised the issue of layoffs during that meeting, saying he has been receiving inquiries from citizens about a lack of county furloughs. Griffith said at the time he is not against remote working if employees are able to perform a sufficient amount of duties from home.

In response to the coronavirus, Pedri had implemented a hiring freeze, saying new employees would be limited to essential positions, including 911 telecommunicators, prison correctional officers and Children and Youth caseworkers.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.