<p>Not sure who your last post was in reference to, HImom. DS’s gf is a fulltime employee, not a contractor.</p>
<p>I agree with Bay. People aren’t mad at the employees. They are mad at the situation. That said, it is important to consider the people who are being hit by this indirectly (they interviewed on the news the owners of a cafe near a national park that was losing a lot of money because they rely on the park attendees for business, as an example). These people will not get back pay. It isnt fair.</p>
<p>JYM, after she’s no longer a federal employee, she will become a contractor, yes? That is why she won’t have future access to her federal email. </p>
<p>In these situations, it certainly isn’t fair–to any of us. There is a lot of “collateral damage,” and real people ARE getting hurt. For many, losses will never be recovered but folks must move on as best they can.</p>
<p>I know a couple dozen folks who are getting “paid vacation”. Not win-win at all. They’ll be coming back to their offices with a backlog of work, so on returning there’ll be very very long days and a lot of weekend work. All of these folks that I know regularly conduct work on vacation, answering email, calling in to meetings and the like. In this case, they can’t even do that–they can’t access their email let alone respond to it. Also unlike vacation there’s no one keeping up with the backlog and covering tasks for the “vacationing” worker. Everyone is going to be slammed with huge workloads once this ends.</p>
<p>James Fallows’ blog on Atlantic Monthly has a series of posts about readers commenting on how the shutdown is affecting them. Some really sobering long-range impacts, like how without Coast Guard ships gathering data on ocean currents and conditions the models that are used to figure out where to look for people who’ve fallen overboard or whose ships have foundered become more and more unreliable. Political so I’m not putting in a link, interesting reading nonetheless.</p>
<p>At least some of us are back to work tomorrow. I work for DoD and have been called back A’s of tomorrow. My husband works elsewhere and has not.</p>
<p>I agree. My wife works for CMS and, while “essential” has been working nights and weekends just to keep her office functioning. And, if this goes on past Thursday, there will be no paycheck as scheduled.</p>
<p>The Merchant Marine Academy sent its cadets home for Fall Break early. Funding comes from the Department of Transportation, not the DOD. Family friend’s son is headed home until the government shutdown ends.</p>
<p>People in DH’s department don’t get OT and already work 50 hr/week. He works 70+ as it is and is covering for all these folks while they are out. He is very concerned about morale, as they are expecting 14 days of furlough in the new fiscal year as well.</p>
<p>I’ve been working through… but did have to adjust my schedule since they banned OT and comp time while in the shutdown. So that 14 hour day I put in completely throws my schedule into disarray.</p>
<p>I hope more of my colleagues will be back tomorrow with the DOD stuff happening.</p>
<p>Federal workers seem to have the most secure jobs in the nation with some of the lowest unemployment faced in any sector. Many of us in the private sector see friends being laid off every other day. The difference is that a large pool won’t be paid until they have a reopen date.</p>
<p>^^That’s for sure. It would be crazy to default on your mortgage or raid your IRA instead of working another job. In fact, if I was living that close to the line, I’d be trying to pick up temp work right now, during my furlough time. As far as unemployment benefits go, I wonder if you have to pay it back when you get back pay. If you don’t, and you were living on the edge, I’d pick up some small jobs, collect unemployment (if it’s legal to do both), and try to come out in a better financial situation after I got the back pay.</p>
<p>Our newspaper says you have to repay any e employment benefits you may qualify for and receive as soon as you receive your backpay. Not sure what the requirements are for unemployment nor how soon or long a gap between applying and receiving any answer or benefits. Those living paycheck to paycheck will likely have some tough choices to make. </p>
<p>In our state, getting a job, even part time isn’t that easy, especially of they ask and learn that you have a full time job already.</p>
<p>This is all getting away from the topic of how this shutdown is affecting us directly.</p>
In acuality, its seems just the opposite to me. Most posters here are acutely sensitive to the impact this is having on many/ most americans who face financial challenges. The difference is that the non federal employees who are being directly impacted by the government shutdowns are not lucky enough to be guaranteed back pay. As other said, those companies with large government contracts are furloughing employees. Lockheed-Martin is furloughing 3000 at present (maybe more) and telling them to use their vacation time [Lockheed</a> Martin · 3,000 Lockheed Martin Employees Impacted By Government Shutdown](<a href=“http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2013/october/1004hq-government-shutdown.html]Lockheed”>Media - Lockheed Martin - Releases)
<p>These people do not have the security of back pay. So while my s’s gf will be fine during her furlough, I feel for the many who do not have the guaranteed back pay when this is all over. </p>
<p>So yes, most, if not all of us feel for the furloughed workers. But we also feel for those directly impacted by this shutdown who do not have the guarantees and protections of federal jobs.</p>
<p>Traffic is lighter. DH is among the contractors working from home. Purchases in our store were up last week, and many volunteered that they had the time to visit the store due to the government shutdown.</p>
<p>H was called back to work. Does this mean he gets paid now? Eh, at least, his office is open and he’s back at work.</p>
<p>As for unemployment and working. By definition, if you have a job, any job - yes that includes the part time minimum wage job - you can’t collect unemployment. You have to prove you’re looking for a job every week (in Maryland) to collect unemployment. If you’re successful, you’re done. </p>
<p>In Maryland, it is very clearly stated on their website that if the recipient gets back pay (there is a special page for federal employees - ha! there are two: one for sequestered employees and one for the current shutdown), then they have to repay the unemployment benefits.</p>
<p>texaspg, federal employees may have secure employment (discounting these shutdowns and increasing outsourcing and impact of sequestration), but they also have had no pay increased for at least the last three years and we know there will be no pay increases for the next three years, and some pay have been cut by 10-20% due to sequestration which will continue until budgets (not the CR) are passed. When H was promoted last year, his biweekly take home pay went up $70. </p>
<p>H loves his work and we are doing fairly well, so in the long view, no complaints about his decision to work in the federal government. Can H double his salary by going to private industry? Easily. Very easily. If he were 15-20 years younger, he probably would be looking but retirement isn’t that far off so it would be better in the long run to stay. </p>
<p>H did say many people are looking to bail - not because of the work or outside pay but that morale is low, they are all tired of the bashing of the federal worker. This isn’t a free paid vacation, it’s not even a furlough, it’s a shutdown more akin to when a business just shuts its doors and closes down. Legally, furloughs required 30 days of notice and no, rumors and speculation by the press or elected officials do not count as notification.</p>
<p>I agree. Posting about what might happen or what could happen is pointless at this point and off topic. If someone has already defaulted on a mortgage due to the shut down, then that would be relevant and interesting.</p>