California Academy of Sciences Announces Sweeping Layoffs, Pay Cuts

The California Academy of Sciences will implement layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts affecting 75 percent of its 504 employees, executive director Scott Sampson announced Tuesday.

The cost-saving measures, including 105 permanent layoffs, go into effect June 13.

The Golden Gate Park research institute and natural history museum has been closed since March 12 in response to the novel coronavirus. A projected $12 million revenue loss forced leadership to make the “extremely difficult” staffing decisions, according to the announcement.

The academy is providing regular salary and benefits to workers through June 12 in part through an $8.1 million loan from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. (KQED is among the local businesses and media organizations to receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan.)

Pay cuts affecting 165 employees were distributed across the organization, with staff earning the highest salaries seeing the biggest reductions and staff earning less than $75,000 seeing no change. Senior leadership figures including Sampson agreed to 15- to 20-percent pay reductions.

Laid off employees will receive severance pay and a health stipend equal to the cost of six months of their currently enrolled medical and dental health plans.

The academy aims to bring back all 96 furloughed employees at their full regular salaries within three to four months of reopening, which could come as soon as July.

“As a trusted institution sitting at the junction of science and society, we are well positioned to take on a powerful role helping humanity shift course toward a future in which both humans and nonhuman nature thrive,” Sampson said in a statement. “But today we are not looking to some far future. Today we focus on the here and now, reflecting on the loss the Academy is about to endure.” — Sam Lefebvre (@Lefebvre_Sam)