By John Howell
A temporary, voluntary layoff for 30 workers at GE Aviation in Batesville has been structured to allow as many of those affected as possible to continue long-term with their jobs, plant leader Jackie Sharp and human resources manager Angel Contreras said.
Local plant officials met with GE Aviation employees Tuesday to announce the 30-employee reduction and to explain a policy of continued benefits and contacts. The layoffs would be in 90-day increments beginning April 25.
Sharp said that the reduction corresponds with a decrease in orders for the plant’s current production, but orders for 2018 will trigger the hiring of additional employees at the Batesville facility in 2017.
“We don’t want to lose the training and investment in them,” Sharp said, referring to employees affected by the April 25 layoff.
 The layoff structure includes continuing medical, dental and vision insurance benefits plus GE Aviation taking over payment of affected employees’ portion of benefit premiums during their time off, according to Contreras. Employees will also be eligible for unemployment benefits during the layoff.
Laid off employees will be expected to make contact with GE Aviation every two weeks to assure the employer that they remain available to return to their jobs.
“We just want the community to understand that despite a dip in volume this year, the future for GE Aviation is bright,” the plant leader said.
When the layoffs were announced Tuesday, a significant number of employees show “strong interest” in participating, Sharp said.
“We believe we will have the volunteers we need,” Sharp stated Thursday morning in a text message.
“It is likely that people will rotate,” Sharp said, during the layoff.
GE Aviation opened its Batesville facility in 2008 with 30 initial employees. By 2014, additions had expanded the facility to an investment of over $100 million, currently employing over 400.