PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- Unpaid furloughs end Friday for Picatinny Arsenal's 4,800 federal workers following the Defense Department's Aug. 6 decision to reduce the number of unpaid days off employees were required to take from 11 to six.
According to base spokesperson Eric Kowal, most Picatinny employees will resume working a 40-hour work week on Monday.
The furloughs began on Jul. 8 and continued for six consecutive weeks. They were adopted in order to help DoD close a budget gap caused by sequestration.
During the furlough period, most government employees at Picatinny worked 32 hours per week. Their pay was reduced accordingly.
The installation continued to remain open five days a week by requiring half of its employees to be off on Mondays and the other half on Fridays.
In an announcement to the DoD workforce, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked civilian
workers "for their patience and continued dedication to our mission during these
extraordinarily tough times and for their continued service and devotion to our department and
our country."
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