Local federal employees preparing to continue working without a paycheck

Feds don't have much choice but to continue working, if they are deemed "essential." Non-essential Feds do not continue working (and no, they cannot volunteer to keep working without getting paid, even if they want to, either) during shutdowns. But essential Feds have to continue working without getting paid. It was the law that both categories of Feds would get paid back (which would have pissed me off I was an essential Fed, but I wasn't) for that time the government was shut down. Now that doesn't seem so sure, since Trump has it in for all Feds and never suffers any consequences for breaking the law.

Everyone has a choice. The government is closed but the bills keep coming and you have to eat.

In this country you need income for food.

It might be different where you are from.

They need money to commute to work too unless fully remote.

Let’s stop blaming Trump for the shutdown.

It is the Democrats and Republicans in Congress. They are not supposed to fund the government by CRs. If they did their jobs, a budget would be in place. Only in government and HR can you continually fuck around and not be fired.

Yesterday on the way to my cousin's day-after-wedding cookout, we were listening to MSNBC on the car radio. I asked my old (97) Dad if in the 35 years he worked for USPS (retired beginning of 1988) he had ever been furloughed, or forced to work witnout pay because Congress couldn't get its shit together--or for ANY reason.

Dad furrowed his face, thinking back... then spat [bold]"NO! NEVER!"[/bold] When I told him postal workers were considered "essential" and must work without pay, he said "Donnnaaallllld Ta-RUMP--what in the world is wrong with him? Why don't they DO something about him?"

Why, indeed.

Every bank offers special forbearance programs for workers impacted by the shutdown. They can get forbearances on mortgages, car loans, student loans and credit cards. Most states have anti-eviction laws that protect government employees during a shutdown.

R1 yep. What sucks is if you’re non essential and out of work. Not only are you not getting paid, you may come back to a federal government that has eliminated your department.

R5 That’s partly because they know the workers are eventually going to get paid.

tRump is threatening (likely illegally) to fire people so they can’t be reinstated and get back pay.

I also suspect furloughed contractors (individuals who do the government’s business under the aegis of private employers) aren’t guaranteed back pay.

R7 Contractors aren’t paid by the federal government. Their companies pay them. Obviously the companies get the money to pay their employees salary from the federal government but the individual employees get paid from their parent company. If they’re working, they’re getting paid.

I have no idea why r8 is using logic in this discussion. The fuck your feelings/ "cri moare" freaks are all about vibes and feels, not logic or reasoning.

My company contracted with the feds for 20 years and we went through several shutdowns. We would receive an all stop notification and were not allowed to continue until the government resumed business. Our federal contracts were the bulk of our business and if we didn't have other private/corporate contracts at the time, we had to send our employees home. And no, we never received any back pay.

R10 right. You don’t get back pay for not working. When it comes to Feds, Non essential workers will not only not get back pay but also may not have a job soon enough. All essential Feds will get back pay. And don’t let essential fool you, it includes more agencies than you might realize.

We're doing it because our King knows what's best for us!

OP, you left "stupidity" off your poll.

Working without pay = slavery.