ST. LOUIS — Washington University will furlough about 500 employees on the Danforth Campus, which is the main campus at the university. A spokeswoman with the school confirmed the furlough with 5 On Your Side Thursday afternoon.
The university first announced on April 20 that about 1,300 employees would be furloughed for up to 90 days. A letter sent to staffers explained the decision but didn’t specify exactly who would be furloughed or how many people in different departments or areas would need to take unpaid time off.
On Thursday, we learned that of the 1,300 employees who would need to be furloughed, 500 of them are on the Danforth Campus. There’s also a hiring freeze on the campus that will continue indefinitely.
According to a letter from the chancellor's office to the university's faculty and staff, the cuts are due, in part, to the elimination and reduction of elective procedures, fewer patients at clinics and fewer patients at the academic hospitals.
"The financial impact of higher expenses unique to the pandemic and lower revenues from lost volume are creating operating losses with revenues off by $60 million in just the first month," the letter said, in part. "That loss is projected to continue for some time, until we can see a return to normal operations."
The university has taken steps to cut some costs. Besides a hiring freeze at its Danforth Campus, school officials said they made significant reductions in spending in the fourth quarter, delayed non-essential building projects and instituted some pay cuts.
"It is our strong desire to preserve as many jobs as we can," the letter said. "You, our employees, are what make the university great."
Wash U. isn't the only hospital system in the St. Louis area furloughing employees. SSM Health is placing 2,000 employees on furlough, among other cost-saving measures during the coronavirus pandemic. According to a news release from SSM Health, the furlough affects 5% of employees across SSM Health's four-state health system.
