Fredericksburg's Furloughed Employees Eligible For Unemployment

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — The Fredericksburg government employees scheduled to go on furlough next month will be eligible for unemployment benefits, the city said Friday.

Fredericksburg notified about 40 employees Thursday that they will be placed on furlough status as of May 2 due to the coronavirus crisis cutting into the city's tax revenues. The furlough period is expected to last at least until July 31. By mid-July, the employees will be notified of their employment status as of Aug. 1, the city said.

The city said it will pay all benefit premiums for the furloughed full-time employees, including the employee's share, to maintain their health, dental and eye care during the furlough period.

About three-quarters of the furloughed employees are permanent part-time employees and the rest are permanent full-time employees. All of the furloughed employees will not receive any paychecks from May 2 through the end of July.

Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw, in a video statement, said Friday that a supervisor in the city government told her that Thursday was the "worst day of his life" because of the decision to furlough such a large number of employees.

Fredericksburg also is implementing a salary reduction of two percent on salaries up to $70,000 and a three-percent reduction on salaries above $70,000 for non-public safety employees, effective May 2. According to the city's website, Fredericksburg has about 440 full-time employees, including school system staff members.

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"Our community is doing a good job of staying at home and doing your part to flatten the curve," Greenlaw said. "While case numbers are still increasing, they are showing promise that all of our hard work to practice social distance is indeed working here locally. It’s now time for us to take similar aggressive action to address the pending financial crisis here in the city."

Total positive coronavirus cases in the Rappahannock Area Health District, which includes Fredericksburg and Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George and Caroline counties, are 241 as of Friday. Fredericksburg has reported 15 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus. The district is reporting five deaths from the virus.

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