The state of Connecticut has sent out layoff notices to nearly 3,000, the governor's office said this afternoon.
The higher education layoffs "are at the discretion of the leaders there, and we've previously released the plans that they have submitted and the Governor has accepted regarding layoffs and spending cuts,'' Barnes said. "Once all layoff notices have been issued - including those from the higher education system and the judicial, legislative and executive branches, we expect the total number of notices and retirements to be in the range of 6,000.
Thus far, 2,984 layoff notices have been issued to state workers. That number does not include any staff at the University of Connecticut, the state university system or the community colleges, Ben Barnes, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. Also not included are employees of the General Assembly.
UPDATE: A spokeswoman for the judicial branch says only 99 notices have gone out thus far, not the 447 indicated by the governor's office.
"The notices are staggered thorugh Aug. 11, based on notice requirements,'' Rhonda Stearley-Hebert, spokesperson for the branch, said this afternoon.
On Aug. 10, 253 judicial branch workers are scheduled to receive layoff notices; on Aug. 11, the final batch of 95 pink slips will go out.
The administration is now in the process of determining which workers have "bumping rights," which allows them to force employees with less tenure out of their jobs.
"This is a time-consuming and intricate process, which, in some cases, may result in several layers of bumping among state employees'' Barnes said in a statement emailed to reporters.
This week's layoff number has decreased by 24 employees, Barnes said. That's result of agencies holding vacant the positions of recent retirees and rescinding layoff notices given to active state employee in their place.
"In about two-and-a-half weeks, a large number of our fellow state workers will leave state service, and it continues to be the administration's hope that the unions will ratify the agreement and avoid the layoffs and painful spending cuts outlined in the last few weeks. If that does not happen, people are beginning to get a clearer picture of the way in which those layoffs and cuts will impact our state and we will have to adjust accordingly."
