More than 600 staffers at Fresno’s poverty fighting agency could be furloughed in the new year, with the organization’s leaders citing financial impact from the ongoing federal government shutdown.
“It is our sincere hope that this furlough will be temporary,” Fresno EOC CEO Steven Lewis said a letter to an impacted employee. The staff member shared the letter on condition of anonymity to protect employee privacy.
Fresno EOC notified the state on Oct. 31 of the potential layoffs of 639 staffers starting Jan. 1, 2026, which would impact employees at 41 program sites county-wide, including its downtown headquarters. The WARN Act, a state law, requires employers to provide a 60-day notice for mass layoffs, relocations or plant closures…