Government Shutdown 2018: What It Means For Workers

The government shutdown remains underway after Democrats and Republicans failed to pass a bill to fund the government on Friday. So what does that mean for local federal workers? We've put together the following guide to help you figure it out.

The military, law enforcement, TSA screeners, border patrol agents, and other essential federal employees will continue to work despite the shutdown. However, they won't get paid unless more funding is authorized by Congress, which is what happened in 2013 with the Pay Our Military Act.

Will federal employees have to report to work?

Federal employees were informed that they should report to work on Monday. The Office of Management and Budget directed employees to conduct an "orderly shutdown" due to the lapse in appropriations. OMB Director Mike Mulvaney said in a letter that the agency will provide further guidance as appropriate, so whether employees will report to work on Tuesday and beyond remains to be seen.

Will they get back pay?

If non-essential federal employees miss work, they will not receive back pay unless Congress passes a funding measure to provide it. During the last government shutdown in 2013, that's exactly what Congress did, so there is hope for those concerned about losing out on pay.

There are a lot of federal employees in Virginia -- more than 130,000, in fact. Federal workers who are idled potentially will lose income altogether if they aren't retroactively paid. But there are a huge amount of other variables as well, as Patch reported in a past article on the 2013 shutdown government shutdown.

How long until they get their paychecks?

It could take a while, perhaps weeks, although generally furloughed and non-furloughed workers are paid retroactively. However, some workers are still awaiting "financial compensation for damages sustained during the 2013 government shutdown," according to a Government Executive report.

What is a non-essential employee?

This is a difficult question to answer, and it's tough to find answers to it. You have to dig deep into OPM's website to find any sort of definition at all. Basically, a non-essential employee is an federal employee that is not necessarily needed to keep the government running at a basic level. However, that is left to the various departments to define.

During the last shutdown, there were 850,000 non-essential federal workers who were furloughed.

"In the context of shutdown furloughs, the term 'excepted' is used to refer to employees who are funded through annual appropriations who are nonetheless excepted from the furlough because they are performing work that, by law, may continue to be performed during a lapse in appropriations," reads an OPM document describing the shutdown process. "Excepted employees include employees who are performing emergency work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property or performing certain other types of excepted work. Agency legal counsels, working with senior agency managers, determine which employees are designated to be handling 'excepted' and 'non-excepted' functions."

What happens to federal contractors during the shutdown?

Government contractors often can work because their funding isn't governed by the current appropriation that lapses, but by prior-year funding. But the government personnel they work for might be sidelined, said David Berteau, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, which represents hundreds of federal contractors who work with several different agencies. "Many contractors have workers who go to a government facility. Will that facility be open? Will you be on the roster of people who are allowed to come in?" he told WTOP.

Tom Temin, an anchor at Federal News Radio, said it is up to company holding the contract to decide if it will pay idled contractors. "High-level professional services people might continue to get paid, but if your contracting is for maintenance, or lawn service, or that sort of thing, you may not get paid," he said.

How long could the shutdown last?

There have been 18 shutdowns in U.S. history, and every one of them is different. This one is particularly unique because it's the first time that the government has shut down with one party in control of all branches of government.

The last shutdown was in 2013, and it lasted for 16 days. Some have drawn comparisons between that shutdown and this one, because similarly a party refused to pass a funding bill in order to get movement on a single issue. In 2013, Republicans were staging a revolt against Obamacare, and this time around, Democrats are trying to block President Trump's attempted rollback of immigration protections.

Bar, restaurant deals during shutdown?

WTOP has compiled a list of freebies and discounts being offered to furloughed federal workers during the shutdown. They range from happy hour prices at any time at Tio Javier and Willie's, to discounts on appetizers at Cava and Jaleo. See the full list on WTOP's website.

Are museums and the National Zoo open?

The Smithsonian's museums, research centers and the national zoo will be open on Monday during the government shutdown. The Smithsonian said it can use prior year funds still available to the organization to keep the venues open. Earlier today, the Smithsonian said its venues will remain open through the weekend.
The organization said it would update its status on Monday.

Image via National Parks Service