WASHINGTON, July 8 (UPI) -- Furloughs that will cut the pay of all civilian workers at the U.S. Defense Department by 20 percent for the next 90 days began Monday, officials said.
The unpaid leave for more than 650,000 non-military employees was ordered by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to meet budget cuts mandated by congressional sequestration, The Washington Post reported.
Pentagon officials had initially said employees would be required to take 22 furlough days, but Hagel reduced the number to 11 in May.
Employees will not be paid for one day a week through the end of September, and are prohibited from performing any work-related activities on their furlough days.
The furloughs will save the department $1.8 billion, officials said.
A coalition of federal employee unions launched a campaign last week to stop the furloughs, saying the action unfairly targeted federal workers.
