Official Government Shutdown 2023 Thread

[Anonymous]

Honestly it’s better to have a shutdown at the start of the fiscal year if we’re going to have one. My team has worked nonstop all last quarter to make our targets. Pencils down on Sept 30. Everything starts over October 1, so it’s a good time to pause. Better than the late December shut downs when we aren’t allowed to take annual leave even though a lot of us already have plane tickets for Christmas.

I think there should be a rule that if Congress can’t vote on a budget, they aren’t allowed to leave. Id like to see how fast a bunch of 70+ year olds vote if they don’t get to sleep in beds at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re already starting to postpone and shelve work that we can’t leave hanging. Very frustrating.

+1. We had our pre-shutdown meeting put on our calendars today. I have never had one scheduled more than 2 days before a shutdown before. Not good.

And I’ll take a long weekend with an extra couple days off. We are sprinting to meet end of fiscal year targets right now. But a shutdown that drags on more than that, hanging around at home, waiting for a resolution? Hard pass. The closets didn’t get cleaned out during COVID. It isn’t going to happen now.

Corney as it sounds, I work for my agency because I believe in its mission. If we don’t work, a lot of the most vulnerable Americans suffer more than they already are. It pisses me off.

Wow. Is this very different than usual procedure or are you guys high level leaders who hear more than the worker bees and middle managers? I'm not SES level so I'm not in on this stuff, but usually we're told not to plan for a shutdown because we're confident Congress will do their jobs up until September 29.

Very different. This isn’t upper level planning. It’s mid level staff. Normally, not a peep about shutdown procedures until 24-48 hours out. But today an “end of the FY contingency planning” hit our calendar for next Thursday. And since we are using every second we have to clear everything we can by the end of the FY, nobody is putting meetings on calendars the second to last day of the FY without a very, very good reason.

I hate shutdowns. Even near misses take time and energy away from the very real work I have to get done, contrary to DCUM’s hot takes on feds.

But PP does have a point. My manager has been out getting cancer treatment. We are very short staffed right now. And our goals don’t reflect that. A long weekend is starting to look good. The shutdowns that’s drag on and on are very stress and huge morale killers though. And the work keeps piling up while we aren’t there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re already starting to postpone and shelve work that we can’t leave hanging. Very frustrating.

+1. We had our pre-shutdown meeting put on our calendars today. I have never had one scheduled more than 2 days before a shutdown before. Not good.

And I’ll take a long weekend with an extra couple days off. We are sprinting to meet end of fiscal year targets right now. But a shutdown that drags on more than that, hanging around at home, waiting for a resolution? Hard pass. The closets didn’t get cleaned out during COVID. It isn’t going to happen now.

Corney as it sounds, I work for my agency because I believe in its mission. If we don’t work, a lot of the most vulnerable Americans suffer more than they already are. It pisses me off.

I don't see how your shutdown meeting has any significance. Whether we shut down or not is in the hands of a few people and I doubt they have telegraphed their plan to your agency heads. They don't know any more than the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly it’s better to have a shutdown at the start of the fiscal year if we’re going to have one. My team has worked nonstop all last quarter to make our targets. Pencils down on Sept 30. Everything starts over October 1, so it’s a good time to pause. Better than the late December shut downs when we aren’t allowed to take annual leave even though a lot of us already have plane tickets for Christmas.

I think there should be a rule that if Congress can’t vote on a budget, they aren’t allowed to leave. Id like to see how fast a bunch of 70+ year olds vote if they don’t get to sleep in beds at night.

This is ageism. Watch for making these types of posts on this forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly it’s better to have a shutdown at the start of the fiscal year if we’re going to have one. My team has worked nonstop all last quarter to make our targets. Pencils down on Sept 30. Everything starts over October 1, so it’s a good time to pause. Better than the late December shut downs when we aren’t allowed to take annual leave even though a lot of us already have plane tickets for Christmas.

I think there should be a rule that if Congress can’t vote on a budget, they aren’t allowed to leave. Id like to see how fast a bunch of 70+ year olds vote if they don’t get to sleep in beds at night.

This is ageism. Watch for making these types of posts on this forum.

lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nice to see people here planning cozy staycations, me time, and all that. Many feds live paycheck to paycheck. JFC with the being out of touch.

the real pain is inflicted on the contractors, who don't get back pay, can't work, and can't bill internally.

tangential question- do the daycares in federal buildings shut down, or continue? I know I'll have to pay regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nice to see people here planning cozy staycations, me time, and all that. Many feds live paycheck to paycheck. JFC with the being out of touch.

the real pain is inflicted on the contractors, who don't get back pay, can't work, and can't bill internally.

tangential question- do the daycares in federal buildings shut down, or continue? I know I'll have to pay regardless.

More than contractors, there are a lot of consequences to the public that can be painful. Our beneficiaries are mostly in poverty and they money they’re expecting could be delayed.

Read the lapse plan for whatever agency your daycare is housed in, it should tell you. I know ours stays open.

[Anonymous]

I have approved leave for a family wedding in early October. What happens if I am deemed essential? (State Department in a regional bureau, if that offers any clues from past shutdowns. This would be my first as a fed and at State.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have approved leave for a family wedding in early October. What happens if I am deemed essential? (State Department in a regional bureau, if that offers any clues from past shutdowns. This would be my first as a fed and at State.)

As your boss on Monday if you’re on the excepted list. If so all leave us cancelled but they may be able to take you off the leave and furlough you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nice to see people here planning cozy staycations, me time, and all that. Many feds live paycheck to paycheck. JFC with the being out of touch.

the real pain is inflicted on the contractors, who don't get back pay, can't work, and can't bill internally.

tangential question- do the daycares in federal buildings shut down, or continue? I know I'll have to pay regardless.

Contractors vary. The way ours are paid means they work during a shutdown even if there are no govies there, which is a huge waste of time and money since there's nothing for them to do. My DH is a contractor at a different agency and during a shutdown his employer puts everybody on business development and they bill internally; during the last big shutdown this allowed them to attract talent that other contractors laid off. There's no one answer.

Our daycare stays open to serve the people who must continue working. I'm sure that varies too, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have approved leave for a family wedding in early October. What happens if I am deemed essential? (State Department in a regional bureau, if that offers any clues from past shutdowns. This would be my first as a fed and at State.)

As your boss on Monday if you’re on the excepted list. If so all leave us cancelled but they may be able to take you off the leave and furlough you.

This. You need to be put on furlough, ask this week so they are prepared for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re already starting to postpone and shelve work that we can’t leave hanging. Very frustrating.

+1. We had our pre-shutdown meeting put on our calendars today. I have never had one scheduled more than 2 days before a shutdown before. Not good.

And I’ll take a long weekend with an extra couple days off. We are sprinting to meet end of fiscal year targets right now. But a shutdown that drags on more than that, hanging around at home, waiting for a resolution? Hard pass. The closets didn’t get cleaned out during COVID. It isn’t going to happen now.

Corney as it sounds, I work for my agency because I believe in its mission. If we don’t work, a lot of the most vulnerable Americans suffer more than they already are. It pisses me off.

I don't see how your shutdown meeting has any significance. Whether we shut down or not is in the hands of a few people and I doubt they have telegraphed their plan to your agency heads. They don't know any more than the rest of us.

I’m the first PP. I am not saying that I know anything, I’m saying that I am planning for the unknown at this point. I can’t schedule travel and public meetings until after the first at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone on the Hill want to share light on shutdown situation? Are we thinking it's a yes?

DP. It’s going to happen. McCarthy is literally cursing during meetings with the Rep caucus. Goldman Sachs predicts 3 week shutdown.

I'm downright giddy at this possibility. I hope both parties grow a spine and vow to spit on each other's graves. Don't give an inch!

[Anonymous]

What happens if there is a shutdown and work travel has been scheduled for Sept 27–Oct 2? Does the whole trip get canceled?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly it’s better to have a shutdown at the start of the fiscal year if we’re going to have one. My team has worked nonstop all last quarter to make our targets. Pencils down on Sept 30. Everything starts over October 1, so it’s a good time to pause. Better than the late December shut downs when we aren’t allowed to take annual leave even though a lot of us already have plane tickets for Christmas.

I think there should be a rule that if Congress can’t vote on a budget, they aren’t allowed to leave. Id like to see how fast a bunch of 70+ year olds vote if they don’t get to sleep in beds at night.

My year is the opposite. I manage a team responsible for deliverables and sections of my agency's annual report but the work cant really begin in earnest until the period closes. The first 3 weeks of October are my busiest of the year. if we get a shutdown that begins in earnest asap.