U.S. federal workers worry about government shutdown

Reuters ^ | January 22, 2018 | by Chris Kenning

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Thousands of federal workers faced uncertainty about the status of their jobs and paychecks after U.S. Senate leaders failed to reach an agreement to end a government shutdown before the work week begins on Monday.

“This is incredibly stressful,” said Jessica Klement, vice president at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, which represents more than 20,000 workers.

“Essential employees must report to work without knowing when they’ll be paid next,” she said. “Non-essential employees will be forced to stay home without pay, not knowing if back pay will be provided.”

Some employees may not have received notice of their status on Friday, she added, so they could be going into work on Monday morning only to be sent home again.

There is no official tally of how many would be off work this time. But local economies could suffer in communities where thousands of non-essential personnel are likely to be off work, from Norfolk, Virginia, and Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Lakewood, Washington, and Oceanside, California.

[Homeschoolmom]

Companies such as Lockheed, Booz Allen, Northrup Grumman, etc.

[pfflier]

Thank you. I wasn’t sure if I misunderstood the civil service categories. They might have changed since I worked with them (eons ago now).

[CodeToad]

Someone making 30% over commercial wage scales should be worried we’ll cut those salaries.

[Salgak]

It doesn’t work that way. On a Time-and-materials contract, we are not allowed to charge labor when the Government is not funded. And, we are not allowed to charge labor that wasn’t done (which is a good thing. . .)

[cymbeline]

“On a Time-and-materials contract, we are not allowed to charge labor”

But what about my question: during a government shutdown, does the contracting agency remain fully funded?