Times are tough and money is scarce. Public and private organizations are searching for ways to save money and maintain business as usual. In one California county, two government employees volunteered to take furloughs to help the county “fill critical budget gaps.”

I didn’t know a whole lot about furloughs when I read the story last week in the Siskiyou Daily News that highlighted pretty significant voluntary pay decreases. I knew furloughs have been on the rise since the economy slowed, and they garner a mixed reaction.

Searching around the Internet, I found a 2009 Wall Street Journal article about an employee whose department was seeking people to take voluntary furloughs. She offered but was warned by colleagues who said it might make her seem too eager to take time off. They also suggested it might make her job appear more expendable, setting her up for a layoff.