<p>Slackermom,</p>
<p>Any way you look at it, it’s paid time off for these (very small percentage of) federal employees.</p>
<p>Bay, I’m not disputing that at all. Did you think I was?</p>
<p>I had already pointed out how different people were affected: both federal employees and contractors.</p>
<p>We didn’t plan on H getting back pay when this whole thing started.</p>
<p>Slacker mom,</p>
<p>You said this was akin to when a business shuts it’s doors and closes down. Closed businesses don’t usually (to my knowledge ) have the ability to promise paid time off for an unlimited time period to its employees who are no longer reporting to work.</p>
<p>MODERATOR’S NOTE:</p>
<p>The thread has drifted off topic again. Please stay on track.</p>
<p>Im concerned about the crab fishermen.
The season is only a month long and begins soon, but they cant get their permits.
[Laine</a> Welch: Shutdown could stall crab season | Laine Welch | ADN.com](<a href=“http://www.adn.com/2013/10/05/3111508/laine-welch-shutdown-could-stall.html]Laine”>http://www.adn.com/2013/10/05/3111508/laine-welch-shutdown-could-stall.html)</p>
<p>I don’t know if this counts as an effect but I’m feeling demoralized by the whole thing.</p>
<p>It’s not just federal employees. Think tanks (FFRDCs) and other non-profits with federal contracts are hurting too. Many of them have received “stop work” orders and are paying employees on govt contracts out of their own overhead. This cannot be sustained for the long term. While federal employees will receive retroactive pay, government contractors will NOT be made whole.</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>Many private industries have not had pay increases either. I have seen mine increase 10% in total over a 10 year period. :D</p>
<p>If I had a paycut though, I would consider looking for other jobs.</p>
<p>Without a CR (continuing resolution), no one is going back to work.</p>
<p>Back pay will be nice, but there has to be a job to go back to.</p>
<p>Snugapug,</p>
<p>350,000 pentagon ees just recently returned to work pursuant to an interpretation of the DoD exception. There are now only about 450,000 of the 2.1mill federal workers not at work.</p>
<p>Friend #1 who is still furloughed (IT for census work) was very unsettled last week. Now that she knows she will get back pay, she is using the time to get stuff done at home and enjoying no commute! She is fortunate that her spouse has a healthy, steady income. She really would rather be working, though. There will be a lot to catch up when she gets un-furloughed. My furloughed friend #2 (housing agency) will have a hard time with bills even with the comfort of back pay. Her H is legally blind and makes very little. Timing of income matters to them.</p>
<p>Bay–The number is definitely higher than 450k. The original 800k never included some federal agencies that are, shall we say, more secretive than others.</p>
<p>I talked to one of my sons last night. Some of his friends are in very bad shape. Three of his friends are sharing an apartment, and all of them are furloughed. One works for a gov’t agency, and will receive back pay, eventually; the other two both work for gov’t contractors–they are furloughed and will not receive back pay. They are all hard workers and would love to go out and find supplementary income sources–it’s just that all of DC is in the same boat, and no one at all is hiring, not even fast food.</p>
<p>All 3 boys are 2013 grads, and haven’t had time to store up emergency funds. They all just started their jobs at various times over the summer, and have been spending to get their apartment up and running, and to get work wardrobes, etc. They don’t have a lot of expenses to cut–they don’t have cable (they share a netflix account), they don’t have a car, they didn’t have a lot of money to go out before, and have no money to go out now–which is why the whole DC economy is going down the drain.</p>
<p>My son said his business is also feeling it–he is having to cut hours for some of the (sales) people who work for him, but he is also trying to use the downtime to do some additional training of his people to the extent that he can additional funding from his headquarters.</p>
<p>soccergurl,</p>
<p>Every news source uses the 800,000 figure, more than 300,000 of which are Pentagon employees who are returning to work.</p>
<p>What other “secretive” agencies are you referring to, and why would they not be included in the 800K number?</p>
<p>Adding: There are numerous articles about furloughs at our intelligence agencies. For example: <a href=“http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-10-02/world/42604008_1_intelligence-agencies-furloughs-senate-intelligence-committee[/url]”>http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-10-02/world/42604008_1_intelligence-agencies-furloughs-senate-intelligence-committee</a></p>
<p>There does not seem to be anything secret about how the CIA, NSA and others are being affected.</p>
<p>1.3 million gov’t employees were not furloughed but will not be paid for their work until the shut down ends. </p>
<p>1.4 million are military and are continuing to be being paid as legislation was passed last week. </p>
<p>800,000 were originally furloughed. 300,000 DOD are returning today but will not be paid until the shut down is over. 500,000 are still furloughed.</p>
<p>And without government safety inspections being done, some planes cannot fly (is this correct busdriver?) and food products cannot be inspected. Ditto for some products that need to pass safety inspections before they can be brought to market.</p>
<p>Speaking of safety an outfit I really admire, The National Transportation Safety Board, is shut down and unable to investigate the fatal accident that occured on the Red Line this weekend.</p>
<p>S’s girlfriend is furloughed (they live together). My H is a federal retiree. Retirement funds are not affected, but it is still not clear to me whether and when the November 1 annuity checks will be processed if the shutdown goes on that long. I have googled and can’t find a clear answer. I know that processing is automated, but there has to be some human intervention at some point, right?</p>
<p>From everything I’ve read, federal retirees will continue to get their annuity payments despite the furlough. See page 17 of this official government document about the Shutdown. This document also answers a LOT of other questions that have been bubbling around on this website.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/furlough-guidance/guidance-for-shutdown-furloughs.pdf[/url]”>http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/furlough-guidance/guidance-for-shutdown-furloughs.pdf</a></p>
<p>Food products cannot be inspected, but they are still being brought to market. We might be lucky, and not have any contaminated food come on the market that would have been detected under an inspection regime. Or we might not be lucky.</p>