The Employee Forum is asking University employees how far they would be willing to go to help UNC maintain its budget next year.
The question was posed in an online survey sent earlier this week. More than half of the respondents said they would be willing to be furloughed — meaning take mandatory unpaid leave.
As of Thursday afternoon1226 employees — about 10 percent — had replied said Brenda Denzler vice chairwoman of the forum. She said that is an excellent response.
The link to the survey was sent in an e-mail Tuesday evening to all University employees who allow mass e-mail to be sent.
Question seven of the survey asks" ""Which of the following would you be willing (and able) to do personally to help the University manage its personnel expenditures?"" It offered nine responses ranging from ""nothing at all"" to ""be laid off.""
So far" 22 percent of employees said they're not willing to do anything. But 55 percent said they would be willing to be furloughed and about 3 percent even said they would be willing to be laid off" Denzler said.
""It's not necessarily easy to talk about layoffs and furloughs if you have a heart"" Denzler said. It's easier to talk about them in the terms of abstract numbers. We wanted to put a face on those numbers.""
Denzler said the forum wanted to use the survey as a way to get the employees' voices heard by the administration. It will share the results with administrators and others interested.
""It brings a human element into this equation. It's not all about dollars and cents. It's about human beings and human lives" Denzler said. We wanted on the other hand to give people at the University an opportunity to say" ‘I am willing to help. I want to help the University make its budget.'""
But Cary Gillenwater" a teaching assistant in the School of Education said he was unsatisfied with the survey" and he said he's not alone in that regard.
""One complaint I've heard from other people is that the University does not take it upon its shoulders to make a decision" Gillenwater said.
I can see the point but the problem is you're asking people to do things that they obviously don't want to do. It's lose your job or lose a bunch of money" and that's a choice you just don't want to make.""
He said that in these tough economic times" the University should make cuts in other areas of the UNC community" not just employees.
""I doubt the employee survey extends to South Building and the administrators and athletics"" Gillenwater said.
Some questions from the survey
If you were laid off, how would you (and your family) be affected?
If you were furloughed, how would you (and your family) be affected?
Which one thing would you prefer to do, if necessary, assuming that nothing at all"" is not an option?
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
