Marquette University to furlough 250 employees

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Marquette University is temporarily furloughing 250 employees because of financial shortfalls caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter sent to faculty and staff on Wednesday, university officials said 250 employees who cannot work from home will be furloughed after April 17 until the university’s normal operations resume. The university’s associate director of communication declined to say whether any of the law school’s staff is affected.

All furloughed employees will keep their medical, dental and vision insurance, and Marquette will pay both the employer and employee portions of the premiums. Tuition-remission benefits, vacation, and sick-leave accruals will continue while employees are furloughed.

The letter said the university intends to return all employees to their roles once regular work becomes available on campus.

Marquette is also pausing merit increases for the 2020-21 academic year, suspending university travel through June 30, reducing discretionary spending and pausing nonessential hiring.

The changes are a result of a $15 million immediate financial shortfall the university is experiencing, in part due to refunding half a semester’s worth of room and board costs for students. The university said nearly 2,400 students moved out of the residence halls early.