Federal Employees - have you been through a RIF or govt. shut down?

[Anonymous]

If there is a shutdown, will it affect all non-emergency employees? Or does it depend on the agency and funding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there is a shutdown, will it affect all non-emergency employees? Or does it depend on the agency and funding?

I think Obama has the power to decide (at a macro level) what agencies provide "emergency services" and need to stay open. The designation could be different this time around than it was in 1995. But if you aren't designated as essential (i.e. emergency) my understanding is that you would not work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there is a shutdown, will it affect all non-emergency employees? Or does it depend on the agency and funding?

I think Obama has the power to decide (at a macro level) what agencies provide "emergency services" and need to stay open. The designation could be different this time around than it was in 1995. But if you aren't designated as essential (i.e. emergency) my understanding is that you would not work.

What about agencies that are funded by fees paid directly by the public for service?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there is a shutdown, will it affect all non-emergency employees? Or does it depend on the agency and funding?

I think Obama has the power to decide (at a macro level) what agencies provide "emergency services" and need to stay open. The designation could be different this time around than it was in 1995. But if you aren't designated as essential (i.e. emergency) my understanding is that you would not work.

What about agencies that are funded by fees paid directly by the public for service?

I don't think the post office would shut down if that's what you mean, but I'm not 100% sure.

[Anonymous]

I don't know - I know that with the last one, passports applications didn't get processed, visas didn't get issued, foreclosures didn't get processed, child support cases were stalled, military veterans services were suspended, museums and parks were closed, etc.

[Anonymous]

I wish the mail WOULD stop - would serve as a nice reminder to the general public about what all these lazy, useless federal workers do for us.

[Anonymous]

Were there any protests the last time this happened?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm hoping for a shut down, people forget exactly how much the govt does. It would be nice for retires not to get their checks, children of fallen officers not to get their benefits, vets not to get their medical checks and to be unable to pay their bills, police officers not to pay for life saving vest

We govt employees are so overpayed and useless I'm looking for some nice time off.

If I'm not mistaken, seniors would still get their SS checks, so those blue haired Tea Partiers have much less to lose than many others if the government shuts down. I'm a good liberal and believe in a robust safety net. (Personally, wouldn't mind if my taxes went up some to deal with the debt.) But it makes me livid, especially as a mother, that so much of the cuts are coming from programs that will hurt younger Americans the most-- the environment, consumer safety, health, etc., while programs for seniors are completely off the table. So much for the future of our country. We should at least insist that they return their "Greatest Generation" title! The greedy bastards!

No they won't. At my agency during the last shut down we were unable to come in to send out benefit checks which we had to approve via treasurey. But, who cares about veterans benefit checks. Let those over payed politicos bitch and moan and shut us down.

[Anonymous]

The bottom line is we all need to be prepared for the worst. My husband and I are both Feds. Even though he's law enforcement and would probably be declared essential, I suspect he still wouldn't get paid until it was all over. Regardless, there would be a big impact at our house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Were there any protests the last time this happened?

That's the best part! Us useless, lazy federal workers who have had salaries frozen and now maybe shut down are not allowed to strike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Poster predicting unpaid furlough: please provide support for your opinion.

Re-read the post at 19:39. No one is predicting a furlough. The prediction was a shutdown period for which there is no retroactive pay.

As far as I can tell, the only difference between a furlough and a shutdown period w/o pay is that a furlough involves more planning, so it's less disruptive to govt services and to govt employees.

The way we get to that point is very different. It's about garnering enough agreement/support in Congress to pass actual legislation implementing a furlough vs. just fighting and disagreeing until the current CR expires. Once a shutdown happens, I assume (I could be wrong, so please correct me if someone knows otherwise) that it would take legislation to get Feds paid for the period when they didn't work. That's the part I can't see happening.

[Anonymous]

It has always happened before, even in similar situations. Both republicans and democrats alike understand the financial impact of not paying hundreds of thousands of feds would be devastating to the economy. Lots of other jobs would be lost - think of the daycare workers, cleaning services, restaurants, etc. that would all lose major revenue if people didn't get their pay for a significant period of time. A few days, maybe, but if this drags on they will have to be paid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has always happened before, even in similar situations. Both republicans and democrats alike understand the financial impact of not paying hundreds of thousands of feds would be devastating to the economy. Lots of other jobs would be lost - think of the daycare workers, cleaning services, restaurants, etc. that would all lose major revenue if people didn't get their pay for a significant period of time. A few days, maybe, but if this drags on they will have to be paid.

I agree about the possible economic impact but this argument assumes a degree of rationality that I'm not sure exists. What was the true budgetary savings of the Federal pay freeze? A drop in the bucket. It was all about symbolism. Would this issue truly be any different?

[Anonymous]

FYI -- an interesting article that attempts to answer many of the questions that have been posed here:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2011/02/what_might_a_government_shutdo_1.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has always happened before, even in similar situations. Both republicans and democrats alike understand the financial impact of not paying hundreds of thousands of feds would be devastating to the economy. Lots of other jobs would be lost - think of the daycare workers, cleaning services, restaurants, etc. that would all lose major revenue if people didn't get their pay for a significant period of time. A few days, maybe, but if this drags on they will have to be paid.

Isn't this the trickle down theory? I assume you are saying if feds don't get paid (or really, assuming govt shutdown is not permanent, just get paid less) that those feds will have to fire their maids, not go to restaurants, etc, etc. But isn't that the same argument that conservatives use against tax increases? That when taxes go up, people get rid of non-essential expenses first, i.e. fire their maids, stop eating out, etc. Not saying whether you are right or wrong that that will happen, just curious if you ascribe to the trickle down theory in other scenarios.