Furloughs may be the answer

With Winsted facing another difficult budget year and a contract with the town’s public works department a year overdue, the Board of Selectmen this week entertained the idea of laying off some town employees to save money. A furlough of existing employees may be more appropriate in order to save jobs.

Laying off workers is an unpleasant experience and a last resort that results in bitterness among townspeople, many of whom work for the municipality. The process certainly does not foster trust or good morale, and the town suffers from a decrease in services.

Furloughs, while also potentially disruptive to services, save money while saving jobs and have already been implemented at the state level to contend with a widespread budget crisis. With Connecticut facing a deficit of more than $8.5 million, employees and state leaders agreed that some time off was necessary in order to save jobs.

A few smaller paychecks for everyone is more desirable than putting people out of work. Everyone needs to share in the sacrifices when money is short, and Winsted’s town employees should be willing to take a small hit for the good of all.

Winsted is dealing with a shortage of a few hundred thousand dollars this year, which can be made up with a combination of furloughs and line item transfers. This idea should be fully explored before any town employee loses his or her job.