CSC asks workers for break

Computer Sciences Corp. has asked its 66,000 employees to volunteer to take extended leaves of absence ? for at least six months ? at 20 percent of their pay.CSC of El Segundo, Calif., said it is taking the step because the global information technology market has been suffering from a slowdown, not because of any specific incident or concern, said company spokesman Frank Pollare. He said CSC does not have any quota of employees to take leave. There are approximately 14,000 employees in CSC's federal sector, Pollare said. The voluntary leave program is available to these employees, but any request to participate must be approved by the individual's manager.CSC is one of the largest prime contractors to the federal government, holding outsourcing contracts such as Groundbreaker, a $2 billion, 10-year contract with the National Security Agency.