We’re planning to close the office a few days a week to save money. Do salaried exempt employees still get their full pay during these furloughs?

Yes, salaried exempt employees must be paid their full weekly salary if they do any work during your designated seven-day workweek, including tasks as quick as checking work email or voicemail. As your goal is to save money, be sure the furlough covers the full workweek and that affected exempt employees understand they’re not to do any work while on furlough.

Nonexempt employees, however, only need to be paid for actual hours worked, so single-day or partial-week furloughs can be implemented without worrying about pay implications.