The county will be putting a portion of its employees on furlough starting Tuesday in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The temporary furloughs will target “nonessential county personnel” that “will be determined by department and office needs along with employee seniority,” according to a prepared statement issued late Monday by the Butler County Commissioners.

The announcement doesn’t specify the number of employees affected, nor is there a mention of how departments will assess their needs. Lori Altman, director of human resources for the county, said the furlough was unpaid and employees have the option to either file for unemployment or take their paid time off. Altman said she expected to get the number of employees who will be furloughed from each department Tuesday.

The furlough has no end date.

“The commissioners have made the decision in conjunction with the court and elected officials regarding county operations and staffing,” Leslie Osche, chairwoman of commissioners, said in the statement. “Our primary concerns are to continue to provide services to county taxpayers as ensured in the Constitution while balancing the safety of our employees.”

According to the announcement, the furloughs are being done to help address concerns among some staff. Commissioner Kim Geyer also said in the prepared statement that county officials understood the needs of staff members to be at home with their families.

The commissioners also enacted a resolution supporting the Pennsylvania primary election day being pushed from April 28 to June 2. The move comes after the county commissioners declared a disaster emergency in the county last week.