MISSOULA — The University of Montana on Monday placed 63 employees on temporary furlough, saying the financial strain brought on by the coronavirus pandemic necessitated the decision.
The university reached out to the individuals on Monday and issued a campus-wide memo later in the day announcing the decision. The workers will remain on furlough through Aug. 1.
“These are employees who have been working in the university’s auxiliary functions, such as housing and dining,” UM communications director Paula Short told the Missoula Current. “Those services rely heavily on the students being physically present on campus, but because the vast majority of our students aren’t here, we needed to do the furlough.”