Furlough

Furlough means vacation, right?  From the army, or from prison.  Or from ... your job.  Ahem.  The University of Maryland, in response to 20% budget cuts or some such awfulness, will be mandating furlough days for most employees.  Meaning, don't bother coming to work because we won't be paying you.  They might close campus.  (But classes will not be cancelled.  ?!?)  This even applies to those of us paid by grants.  This seems especially silly, because the money will revert to the grant in my case, meaning I will just work on the other days.

Thank goodness I have consulting work.  I submitted my first invoice today.