Wittenberg to implement temporary furloughs, reduce salaries

Wittenberg University in Springfield is planning to temporarily furlough some employees due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the school. BILL LACKEY / STAFF

Wittenberg University in Springfield is planning to temporarily furlough some employees due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the school. BILL LACKEY / STAFF

Wittenberg University has announced that it will be implementing temporarily furloughs, and reducing hours as well as salaries.

Those changes will effect more than 170 hourly and salaried staff and salary reductions can be 2% to 6%, according to an email from Karen Gerboth, the vice president of Marketing and Communications at Wittenberg.

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Those changes will last until July. In addition, senior leadership salary reductions will be between 8% and 10% for the same time period, the email said.

Representatives of Wittenberg said those that we be impacted have already been notified. The university will also temporarily suspend institutional matching contributions to employee retirement funds.

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“We are hopeful that the course of action we are pursuing now and the longer-term planning underway will allow Wittenberg to thrive,” said a statement from Wittenberg President Mike Frandsen.