Seventeen Luzerne County employees volunteer for layoffs

Seventeen Luzerne County government employees have signed up for voluntary layoffs due to the coronavirus pandemic, and an unspecified number of additional forced furloughs will be implemented next week, county Manager C. David Pedri said Thursday.

The 17 workers are in nonessential positions and will start their furlough Friday, with the expectation they will be able to collect unemployment.

Pedri sought volunteers through an email Tuesday and gave workers until Wednesday morning to express an interest. The county is not furloughing employees in life-sustaining, essential positions, such as 911 telecommunicators, prison correctional officers and Children and Youth caseworkers.

More mandatory layoffs will be necessary because a reduction of 17 won’t be enough to compensate for expected pandemic-related revenue declines, Pedri said.

In addition to anticipated declines and delays in real estate tax revenue, receipts are down from fees and other services as many county offices have scaled back to reduce human contact and disease spread, he said.

“We will continue to work with human resources and our unions in this extremely difficult time,” Pedri said. “We need to do what we can because we still have to meet our financial obligations.”

Forced layoffs likely would take effect April 24, and the county is examining both union and nonunion positions among the workforce of approximately 1,400, the administration said.

Pedri said he plans to release more information on the 17 voluntary furloughs Friday.