Riverside County has imposed furloughs and a pay cut on 539 Probation Department employees, in a move officials say will save taxpayers $1.3 million between now and June, a county spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Lys Mendez said the employees will take five furlough days during that time.

Mendez said Human Resources Director Ron Komers last week declared an impasse in negotiations with the union that represents the employees and imposed, effective Feb. 1, the equivalent of a 10 percent pay cut.

Mendez said the human resources director also imposed a cut in employee health benefits averaging 35 percent.

"We continue to work toward negotiating a contract for the next fiscal year," she said.

The move brings to 8,100 the number of employees who have absorbed 10 percent pay cuts as a result of their unions signing agreements with county administrators or officials imposing temporary conditions following impasses. Last fall, the Board of Supervisors voted to impose furloughs and cut the pay of 247 prosecutors in the district attorney's office.