NEW YORK (JTA) — The Jewish Agency for Israel will close for two weeks over the summer and deduct several days’ pay from employees’ paychecks in a bid to close a budget gap of some $3.5 million.
The deal was worked out between the agency, which is one of the two main overseas conduits for money from the Jewish Federations of North America, and its employees union as an alternative to laying off 50 workers, the Jewish Agency said in an announcement Thursday. As part of the agreement, the union also will contribute $500,000 to the agency’s budget.
The furlough, affecting the entire organization, will take place Aug. 21-Sept. 4. Employees will lose the pay from six of those business days at the rate of a day per month over the course of six months; the four remaining business days will be deducted from their vacation allotments. The agency said the cuts were a one-time measure.
