Dealing with Furloughs

Who doesn't love a three-day weekend, especially when you get a paid holiday to scamper off for a short vacation getaway?

Well, now many state employees are facing a YEAR'S WORTH of three-day weekends: without pay, ifs, ands or buts.

It's the famed furlough, now imposed on state agencies for three Fridays a month for the next 11 months as a part of the Governor's plan to close the state's multibillion dollar budget deficit. You can read more about how this significant pay cut is affecting state employees in today's SF Chronicle.

Furloughed state agencies include the DMV, so budget even more time than you normally would on your next visit. But for now, you can count on these agencies to remain OPEN on Fridays :

-- State hospitals

-- State prisons

-- State parks

-- Parole offices

-- California Highway Patrol

-- California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection stations

-- Constitutional offices (e.g. the governor's office)

-- Franchise Tax Board