Newton City Hall Furloughs 100 Employees Amid Coronavirus Crisis

NEWTON, MA — Approximately 100 part-time city hall employees were furloughed and put on "standby status" April 20, according to Mayor Ruthanne Fuller.

The number of Massachusetts residents applying for first-time unemployment benefits during the week that ended April 11 was 139,647, the following week the number was around 88,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor report. Between March 21 and April 16 Massachusetts has had 689,088 workers file for first-time unemployment benefits.

"With the dramatic impact of the pandemic on the economy, we are continually evaluating our operations and finances," said Fuller in a letter to city council dated three days after the furlough took effect. "After significant assessment, I made the hard decision that the positions of part-time employees who are no longer working due to COVID-19 closures of City of Newton programs, services or functions will be temporarily furloughed and the employees have been placed on “Standby Status” effective April 20, 2020. "

Other part-time employees in positions that continue to have work are not being temporarily furloughed, she said.

Employees who were furloughed can apply for unemployment, she said, and has given them instructions on how to go about that.

In late March, the city asked that nonessential employees not come into work, and from that time, many of the positions were simply put on pause.

It's not clear how long the furlough will last, but the mayor said she'd update those on standby status by June 14 to let them know about the possible continuation of the status.

"This is so difficult as we value our part-time employees as critical members of the City of Newton team. While the future is uncertain, we are hopeful that we will be reopening activities and functions and welcoming these staff back to employment with the City," she said.

Read her letter to the City Council here:

READ MORE:

• Coronavirus In Newton: 8 Die At Senior Living Facility
• MA Hospitals: Our Doors Are Open For Non-Coronavirus Cases
• Chris Evans' 'Defending Jacob' Filmed In Newton Set To Air
• 22 Mayors Including Newton's Fuller Push MA Legislature For Vote By Mail Option
• Newton Schools To Stay Closed Through End Of School Year
• Newton High School Class Zoom-Bombed With Anti-Chinese Images
• 140K File For Unemployment In MA

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).