The State of New Jersey has announced a deal with the largest union of state workers to avert mass layoffs by instituting furloughs and pausing a planned 2% wage increase. As part of the deal, workers will be required to take up to 12 furlough days, including 10 before the end of July. Just how many furlough days state workers will be required to take and when, appears to largely depend on individual circumstances. Some workers deemed essential will be exempt from these furloughs.

We are passing this information along to you because with a percentage of state workers furloughed throughout the month, you may encounter delays when trying to contact various state departments.  Read updates from the NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities and the NJ Department of Children and Families below.
On June 30, 2020 DDD issued the following update.
June 30, 2020

Hello Division Constituents and Community Partners,
 
On June 27 th , members of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) ratified a  COVID 2020 Emergency Agreement  that furloughs many of its members an average of 10 business days between June 29 and July 24, 2020. This includes nearly 600 workers here at the Division of Developmental Disabilities, in our Community Services Offices.
 
It is important for you to know that the Division remains open and all operations are continuing , despite a reduced workforce over the next four weeks. Our priority, as always, is ensuring the health, safety and well-being of the individuals we serve. For vital issues, you may continue to call the Division Community Services office for your county or 1.800.832.9173. Please also note the Division’s 24/7 on-call system for emergencies remains active.
 
We ask for your patience and understanding during this time, as you may encounter slight delays to some inquiries. If you need assistance and are having trouble reaching Division staff, please email our Fee-for-Service Helpdesk at  DDD.FeeForService@dhs.nj.gov .
 
Thank you.
 
Jonathan Seifried
Assistant Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Human Services
Division of Developmental Disabilities

On June 30, 2020 DCF issued the following update.
June 29, 2020

Dear partner provider,

On Saturday, June 27th, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) members ratified an agreement with Governor Murphy that will furlough its state employee members for several days during the month of July. About 5,800 of DCF’s 6,700 employees are represented by CWA. As a result, operations within the Department of Children and Families will be significantly modified throughout the month of July, with staffing reduced to approximately 50%.

This does not include our State Central Registry or licensing operations, which will continue at full capacity.

Your partnership and service is integral to our work on behalf of New Jersey’s children and families and it will remain a priority, even during this challenging time. Staff has been asked to provide notification through out-of-office email and voice mail of their availability and to identify alternate support for emergent issues during their absence, but there may be a slight delay in response time. If you encounter any difficulties in receiving timely information from your regular DCF contact, please advance your request or concern to  AskDCF@dcf.nj.gov  for a queued response.

We appreciate your support and understanding.

-The New Jersey Department of Children and Families
The Arc of NJ | 732.246.2525 | info@arcnj.org