Furloughs Freeze State Services

Both states' revenues, budgets, legislatures create cause for alarm

(NEWSER) - Don’t look now, New Yorkers, but your state government is sinking to California-like depths of lousiness. New York’s 2010 budgetary fitness ranks below that of 33 other states in Pew’s latest ranking, trailing the likes of Louisiana, Alaska, and South Carolina. And that’s unlikely to improve, “because New York’s elected officials seem determined to make us No. 1 in dysfunction,” Chris Smith writes for New York magazine. More»

Public profiles can provide valuable income information for revenue agents

(NEWSER) - Internet-savvy state tax collectors are using a new tool in tracking down evaders: social networking websites. Tax collectors are taking advantage of the fact that an individual’s MySpace or Facebook profile often contains quite a bit of professional information, the Wall Street Journal reports. Agents in Nebraska, for example, recently collected $2,000 from a DJ who advertised a prominent gig on MySpace. More»

Workers on furloughs aren't granted—or won't allow themselves—time off

(NEWSER) - Sure, required time off beats a layoff—but that can be tough to remember as many continue working through their furloughs, the New York Times reports. Some worry their jobs are at stake if they don’t keep working; others just can’t get their employers to schedule days off. And “sometimes it’s just too busy at work,” notes one employee. “You start to feel guilty.” More»

(NEWSER) - Already-downsized companies seeking to cut costs further will likely increase temporary layoffs this summer, hoping the season will ease the pain of a missed paycheck, Fortune reports. A recent poll found that 44% of US companies are considering or have already implemented furloughs. But some institutions and employees are getting creative about the possibilities; furcation, anyone? More»

Cost-cutting measure gives employees $80K for taking a year off

(NEWSER) - Amid nationwide layoffs and salary freezes, how could a New York law firm justify paying some of its employees $80,000 to stay away from the office? It makes more sense when you know that the lawyers usually make three times that: The partners have found a way to cut costs without (permanently) losing talent, the New York Times reports. More»