Double Dose of Furloughs for Sandy-Impacted Fed Workers

Soon after Hurricane Sandy hit Long Beach last October and destroyed his East Pine Street home, IRS agent Roberto Arroyo was placed on leave without pay because his office in Brooklyn had to close.  

Arroyo appeared recently on Federal News Radio, at 1500 AM Washington D.C., to tell his story, which includes his wife, an IT specialist at an IRS office in Bethpage, who was also put on an unpaid furlough.

The couple was able to receive assistance from the Federal Employee Education and Assistance fund, and due to that program they were able to secure a loan to assist with rental expenses as they bounced from one rental apartment to another across Long Island while await repairs to be completed on their home.  

Arroyo also registered with the New York Sandy help website for grants to help pay for the nearly $80,000 in renovation costs. The couple had planned to move back into their home in September, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency recently notified them and neighbors, telling them they must elevate their storm-damaged home.

Arroyo told FNR radio show hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp:

"It took me about a month-and-a-half to get back to work, because Hurricane Sandy pretty much affected all of New York and New Jersey. We couldn't find any suitable living arrangement. We had to go out to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to stay in a hotel for over month."