FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- Mandatory one-day-per-week furloughs for approximately 3,500 federal civilian employees on Fort Jackson will begin Monday, and a number of services on post will be affected starting next week.

Housing

The Residential Communities Office, the Housing Services Office and the Furnishings Management Branch will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The offices will be closed Fridays during the duration of the furlough period. Balfour Beatty Communities office hours will not change.

Army Community Services

ACS offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday. ACS will be closed Fridays.

Commissary

The Commissary will be closed Tuesdays in addition to Mondays.

Directorate of Logistics

The Central Issue Facility will be closed Fridays, except for Basic Combat Training support. The Installation Property Book Office will be closed Fridays. The Household Goods/Personal Property Shipments office will be closed Fridays. The Maintenance Division will be closed Fridays. The Ammunition Supply Point will be closed Fridays.

There will be no change in service or hours for dining facilities, the Hazardous Material Management Program/Reuse Center, Victory Fuel Point and the LCI SSSC Store. Other DOL offices will be open Monday through Friday,but will be minimally staffed. Customers are encouraged to plan ahead and be prepared for delays in all DOL offices.

Below are some frequently asked questions about furloughs.

For more information, visit www.cpol.army.mil.

Can employees telework on furlough days?

No, employees are prohibited from doing any government work on their furlough days.

Can an employee use government-issued electronics such as a Blackberrys or a laptop for assigned duties on a designated furlough day?

No, employees may not use government-issued electronic devices to perform assigned duties on furlough days or during hours of furlough.

Does discontinuous furlough of 88 hours (11 days) impact an employee's annual and sick leave accrual?

Yes, the accumulation of nonpay status hours during a leave year may affect the accrual of annual leave and sick leave.

Example: When a full-time employee with an 80-hour biweekly work schedule accumulates a total of 80 hours of nonpay status within a leave year (either in one pay period or multiple pay periods), the employee will not earn annual leave or sick leave in the pay period in which that 80-hour accumulation is reached. If the employee then accumulates a total of 160 hours of nonpaid time during the leave year the employee will again not earn annual leave and sick leave in the pay period in which that 160-hour total is reached.

Could an employee take paid leave or other forms of paid time off (e.g., annual, sick, court leave, earned credit hours, etc.) instead of taking administrative furlough time off?

No, approved annual, sick, court leave, etc., for a day which is later designated as a furlough day will be recorded as a furlough, and the employee will be placed in a nonpay status for the day.

Will employees returning from deployment during the furlough period be required to be furloughed for 88 hours?

Their furlough hours will be prorated upon return from deployment and 30 days after the employee receives the requisite furlough notice.

Can approved annual leave be canceled during the furlough period?

Yes, approved leave can be canceled during the furlough period based on mission considerations and the scheduling of furlough days.

Where will furlough hours be reflected on an employee's Leave and Earnings Statement, or LES?

Furlough will appear on its own line in the LEAVE section of the LES. FURLOUGH will appear in the TYPE column, and the hours will appear in the USED PAY PD column.

What is the impact of furlough on an employee's Living Quarters Allowance?

Living Quarters Allowance continues, if the employee continues to make housing payments, for periods of nonpay status that do not exceed 30 consecutive days. Other allowances continue for periods of non-pay status that do not exceed 14 days at one time.

Must agencies cover travel expenses during a furlough day, if an employee's travel status requires his or her stay to include that furlough day?

Yes. Agencies must provide per diem or actual expenses to employees whose duty status requires a stay that includes a furlough day.

How will a furlough affect my Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, contributions?

There will be a reduction in your contributions unless you choose a set dollar amount instead of a percentage of pay. Additional information regarding TSP contributions is available at https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/oc13-7.pdf.

Furlough may also affect an employee's Federal Employees Health Benefits, FEHB; Federal Employees Group Life Insurance, FEGLI; Flexible Spending Accounts, FSAFEDS; Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program, FEDVIP; and Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program, FLTCIP. For

more information, visit http://cpol.army.mil/library/general/2013sequestration/20130516-DoD-Employee-Handout-Furlough.pdf