UMass Medical School Furloughs Workers; Seniors Can Still Graduate

The University of Massachusetts Medical School has announced plans to furlough about 100 employees for up to six months to offset financial losses sparked by the coronavirus crisis.

It was “no longer sustainable” to pay all employees, spokeswoman Sarah Willey said in a statement Tuesday.

The furloughed workers account for about 2% of the Worcester school’s workforce of around 6,000 employees. They could be brought back sooner than six months, and will still receive health care coverage and other benefits while they are furloughed, Willey said.

The school previously announced a hiring freeze and implemented wage and salary freezes.