Furlough Days Cut for Newport Base Workers

Workers at the Newport Navy base got a bit of a reprieve this week, as the U.S. Department of Defense announced that they will need to take only six furlough days instead of 11 through Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year.

Lisa M. Woodbury Rama, a civilian spokeswoman for Naval Station Newport, told the Providence Journal that the decision is "like Christmas in August."

Under the recent sequestration imposed by Congress, civilian employees were told to expect 22 unpaid days off. That number was cut to 11 in July before the most recent reduction.

Naval Station Newport Commanding Officer Capt. Douglas Mikatarian told the Journal that the good news may only be temporary — there's a chance that some of the 4,000 local civilian employees could be laid off in fiscal 2014, which begins Oct. 1.

Editor's Note: According to a memo from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, found in a link provided to Patch by Facebook reader Leslie Costic, a requirement had been in place for civilian workers to complete six of their 11 previously-ordered furlough days by Aug. 17. The memo also states that these employees must complete all six days "in a timely manner and before the end of this fiscal year" if they have not done so by Aug. 17.