Gov. Jared Polis followed through Wednesday with the executive order assigning unpaid leave to state employees who make more than $50,000 a year.

The order gives leaders of the state institutions of higher education the “independent authority” to furlough employees, which state agencies with independently selected executives – the departments of law, state, treasury and education – are exempt from the governor’s directive, the order states.

That includes him, his staff and his lieutenant governor and cabinet, Colorado Politics reported Tuesday, after the governor announced it.

The time off is based on how much people make, starting at one day for those who make $50,000 to $70,000 a year to a maximum of four day for those who make more than $150,000 a year.

Polis earns $123,193 as governor, though he donates his entire salary to causes he supports. A tech entrepreneur and pioneer in e-commerce, Polis measures his personal wealth in the hundreds of millions of dollars. He has donated his salary since he declared a state of emergency on March 10 to COVID-19 relief efforts.

To minimize the effect on workers, the order notes that state government will remain closed the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27.