Church World Service preparing for possibility of permanent layoffs after furloughs

• By Brett Sholtis/LNP | LancasterOnline

One week after Church World Service Lancaster furloughed much of its staff, a recent filing with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry shows that the faith-based nonprofit may be preparing for long-term layoffs.

On Feb. 5 Church World Service filed a federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing, also known as a WARN notice. This is required when an employer with 100 or more employees plans to lay off workers.

The filing shows that the nonprofit, which focuses on “global issues such as hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster,” furloughed 65 employees in the Lancaster region in the first weeks after President Donald Trump took office.

The furloughs were expected to last two months, according to the document, signed by CWS global human resources director Jacqueline Burns. “However, at this time, the Company is unsure as to whether employee terminations will be required, and in an abundance of caution, is sending this notice” to comply with the law.

In the filing, Burns said the furloughs are the result of new federal policies that stripped funding from groups that help refugees and immigrants. These include Trump’s Jan. 24 executive orders on Realigning the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and Reevaluating and Realigning U.S. Foreign Aid, she said.

In addition, “the administration’s stated intent to review, freeze and/or cut federal funding has significantly impacted (CWS) its economic viability, and its access to federal funding and reimbursement,’ Burns said.

The likelihood of permanent layoffs is not entirely clear. A call to Church World Service Lancaster went unanswered Tuesday morning. Office director Valentina Ross did not respond to an email. An automated reply from Ross said “CWS Lancaster is operating on a severely reduced staff due to furloughs. Please expect a delay in my response.”

This reporter’s work is funded by the Lancaster County Local Journalism Fund. For more information, or to make a contribution, please visit lanc.news/supportlocaljournalism.