Can we furlough employees for only a day or two per week?

Reducing an employee’s schedule for a day or two per week is not considered a “furlough.” It’s considered a “reduction in hours” or a “reduced schedule,” which is fine for employers to do, but they need to keep in mind whether the employee is classified as exempt or nonexempt.

While nonexempt employees are paid by the hour, exempt employees are generally paid their full salary if they perform any work at all during the week. Therefore, a company may save costs by reducing the work hours of nonexempt employees, but not by reducing the work hours of exempt employees.