Feds - other jobs during shutdown - hypothetical

[Anonymous]

I am a fed who was required to work until a few days ago. My agency allows us to get other jobs during furlough that don’t present an ethical challenge. So, for example, I could babysit or waitress etc.

I do not currently have plans to look for another job, so this is all hypothetical.

I assume Feds who work another job during a shut down still get paid their full federal salary (assuming we all eventually get back pay)?

If Feds start an entirely new full-time job (as I assume some have done or will start to do) how does pay work? If they return to government? If they don’t return?…

Like do they have a “last day” or are they employed by government until the shutdown is over and paperwork is processed?

Again, I don’t personally plan to job hunt currently, but I am curious!

[Anonymous]

I’m glad you asked because I am in this situation. Not sure my new, non-federal job will keep holding out in the wings for me to give notice to my current agency and settle on a start date.

[Anonymous]

I have a side gig as an approved outside activity and can work and bill as much as I like during the shutdown. The government has no say over what I do with my furlough time on that work, only that I have to go back to my fed job as soon as this ends. Doesn’t affect my back pay at all (assuming we get it this time).

[Anonymous]

I have been asking around and it seems no one knows. One friend who works on the Hill is certain you get back pay up until your resignation date but others online seem to think you quit, they don’t give you any back pay. No idea how that pans out with health premiums, etc. Please report back if you find out what happens to pay!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been asking around and it seems no one knows. One friend who works on the Hill is certain you get back pay up until your resignation date but others online seem to think you quit, they don’t give you any back pay. No idea how that pans out with health premiums, etc. Please report back if you find out what happens to pay!

While furloughed, you are covered by insurance. If you quit and then backpay was issued only to those still employed (so, not you, because you quit first), it would be difficult for insurers to recover your insurance premiums because there's no paycheck from which to take it. They'd have to track you down.

The payslip situation would also be really weird since you accrue leave and retirement status during furlough. It would be extremely complicated to do it that way.

[Anonymous]

It’s pretty rich that Feds are supposed to abide by ethics rules while potentially getting shafted on pay that the government should, based on laws and ethics, pay. It says a lot about their character that they aren’t just flouting the rules and getting a secure paycheck where they can…or doing worse, like, you know, requesting a Cava bag full of cash in exchange for some future quid pro quo.