The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) formally announced that 48 offices across Idaho will close at noon every other Friday, beginning January 22 and ending June 11. The closures will save $1.5 million in unpaid furloughs taken by workers, according to a DHW news release.
The early closures would comply with Gov. Butch Otter's recommendation that all workers at state agencies take an additional furlough day once a month. That recommendation has yet to be approved by the Idaho Legislature.
Read the full DHW news release below.
Dept. of Health and Welfare Closes Offices Every Other Friday Afternoon
Due to budget reductions, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) will close all 48 of its offices for a half day every other Friday afternoon until the end of the current fiscal year.
DHW offices will close for business at noon on:
• January 22
• February 5 and 19
• March 5 and 19
• April 2, 16 and 30
• May 14 and 28
• June 11DHW employees will take 4 hours of unpaid furlough during the office closures, resulting in a state general fund savings of approximately $1.5 million. During these closures, the DHW Director’s office will remain open. The closures will not affect essential services such as crisis response for mental health or response to child protection calls for abuse or neglect. Also, the state’s two state mental health hospitals and Idaho State School and Hospital will maintain 24/7 operations.
People seeking assistance during those hours can access information through the DHW website, or they can contact office staff on the following Monday.
