Skip to main content

<p>In addition to the Voluntary Furlough Program that was rolled out on Monday, the College is offering the following opportunities for employees:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Extension of the Buy Down Deadline. </strong>For Faculty Association members, the College is extending the deadline for buy down. Faculty members who would like to buy down their workload may do so by submitting their request to Andrea Wade, Provost and Vice President, Academic Services by June 29, 2020.</li>
<li><strong>Extension of the Phased Retirement Application Deadline.</strong> Faculty Association members who are considering retirement, but are not quite ready to retire, may submit an application for a phased retirement. In the phased retirement program, faculty members may reduce their workload/work schedule and their salary with minimum impact on their benefits in return for a commitment to retire within the next three years. These applications must be received by Human Resources by June 29, 2020.</li>
<li><strong>Requests for Reduced Work Schedules or Work Years, Job Shares, and Unpaid Leaves of Absence. </strong>Each of us have our own obligations outside of work and have differing abilities to achieve our ideal work-life balance. The College's financial constraints provide an opportunity for individuals who may have considered requesting a flexible work schedule, such as working one less day per week or working a 10 or 11-month schedule rather than a 12-month schedule, to do so. Each adjustment to your work schedule or work load will result in a corresponding adjustment to your salary. While every request may not be granted because of the College's business continuity obligations, every request will be seriously considered and evaluated thoroughly before a final decision is made. If you have been thinking of requesting an adjustment to your work schedule, please discuss your ideas with your supervisor and submit your request to Human Resources. We will work with your supervisor and your divisional vice president to determine whether your request can be granted, either in its entirety or with some modification. If it is simply not possible to grant your request, we will notify you of that as well. Please submit all such requests to Human Resources by July 6, 2020. Unlike the extension of deadlines, this opportunity is not limited to Faculty Association members only; any College employee may submit such a request.</li>
<li><strong>Voluntary Relinquishment of the Vacation Buy Back Benefit. </strong>As mentioned during the Town Hall, the College is asking employees who are eligible to participate in the vacation buy back benefit to not exercise that right this year. By foregoing this benefit, employees will help to reduce the budget gap that the College is trying to close and to lessen the need for layoffs and other more drastic cost savings measures.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you have any questions regarding the above items, please reach out to Human Resources. We will be happy to answer your questions or direct you to the appropriate person who can assist you. Please also discuss any requests that you may be making regarding your work schedule with your supervisor; this will shorten the review process and assist us in making well-informed decisions.</p>
<p>The College is facing severe financial challenges; however, with challenge comes opportunity and we would encourage you to explore the opportunities discussed above. We appreciate the commitment and effort that the move to distance learning and remote working has taken and are thankful for all that our employees do every day to support our students and to fulfill the College's mission.</p>

Repost Message
will copy the article into draft mode and enable you to edit/change dates and information.
Do not change the dates
of this posting because it will affect the original.

MCC Daily Tribune

Additional Opportunities to Help Bridge the Budget Gap

As a follow up the Town Hall meeting on June 12, 2020 and the introduction of the Voluntary Furlough Program, the College is offering additional opportunities to its employees in an effort to reduce our operating costs. The bulk of these costs are personnel costs, primarily wages and benefits for our employees and retirees; this is the reason why this area is the main focus of our cost saving efforts. Additionally, the College has reviewed its spending for non-personnel costs, including travel, memberships, software, and other contractual expenses and have reduced them to the extent possible in an effort to address the budget challenges.

In addition to the Voluntary Furlough Program that was rolled out on Monday, the College is offering the following opportunities for employees:

  • Extension of the Buy Down Deadline. For Faculty Association members, the College is extending the deadline for buy down. Faculty members who would like to buy down their workload may do so by submitting their request to Andrea Wade, Provost and Vice President, Academic Services by June 29, 2020.
  • Extension of the Phased Retirement Application Deadline. Faculty Association members who are considering retirement, but are not quite ready to retire, may submit an application for a phased retirement. In the phased retirement program, faculty members may reduce their workload/work schedule and their salary with minimum impact on their benefits in return for a commitment to retire within the next three years. These applications must be received by Human Resources by June 29, 2020.
  • Requests for Reduced Work Schedules or Work Years, Job Shares, and Unpaid Leaves of Absence. Each of us have our own obligations outside of work and have differing abilities to achieve our ideal work-life balance. The College's financial constraints provide an opportunity for individuals who may have considered requesting a flexible work schedule, such as working one less day per week or working a 10 or 11-month schedule rather than a 12-month schedule, to do so. Each adjustment to your work schedule or work load will result in a corresponding adjustment to your salary. While every request may not be granted because of the College's business continuity obligations, every request will be seriously considered and evaluated thoroughly before a final decision is made. If you have been thinking of requesting an adjustment to your work schedule, please discuss your ideas with your supervisor and submit your request to Human Resources. We will work with your supervisor and your divisional vice president to determine whether your request can be granted, either in its entirety or with some modification. If it is simply not possible to grant your request, we will notify you of that as well. Please submit all such requests to Human Resources by July 6, 2020. Unlike the extension of deadlines, this opportunity is not limited to Faculty Association members only; any College employee may submit such a request.
  • Voluntary Relinquishment of the Vacation Buy Back Benefit. As mentioned during the Town Hall, the College is asking employees who are eligible to participate in the vacation buy back benefit to not exercise that right this year. By foregoing this benefit, employees will help to reduce the budget gap that the College is trying to close and to lessen the need for layoffs and other more drastic cost savings measures.

If you have any questions regarding the above items, please reach out to Human Resources. We will be happy to answer your questions or direct you to the appropriate person who can assist you. Please also discuss any requests that you may be making regarding your work schedule with your supervisor; this will shorten the review process and assist us in making well-informed decisions.

The College is facing severe financial challenges; however, with challenge comes opportunity and we would encourage you to explore the opportunities discussed above. We appreciate the commitment and effort that the move to distance learning and remote working has taken and are thankful for all that our employees do every day to support our students and to fulfill the College's mission.

Melissa Fingar
Human Resources
06/24/2020