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

[Anonymous]

Any current or former federal employees who have been through a RIF (reduction in force) or govt. shut down b/c the budget hasn't been passed or no continuing resolution? I'm a little worried (maybe I should be more worried) about my fed. job and with the huge Fed. deficit and GOP and Obama trying to negotiate a budget that besides the pay freeze for Feds. that we might see a govt. shut down or RIF. If you've been through this, what exactly happens if the govt. shuts down - do you not go to work, not get any pay, what about health insurance? Do they give those short-timers RIFs first? Or the less critical jobs get RIF'd?

[Anonymous]

I am not/never was a fed, but my father was during the 1996(?) shutdown. I can only answer one of your questions - he did not go to work. I don't believe health insurance was affected, but can't answer that with 100% certainty.

[Anonymous]

Just asked a co-worker the same question the other day. She said she was off for a while (couldn't recall how long but she thought maybe a month) and that they didn't pay her but in the end, she got back pay.

[Anonymous]

During the previous shutdown, feds did not got to work but did end up getting paid retroactively.

For RIFs, my understanding is first one in/first one out but not sure it's really that simple. Also, agencies tend to take alot of measures before getting to the point of RIFs- hiring freezes, early-outs, etc.

[Anonymous]

We didn't go to work in 1996 for I believe 3 weeks (it seems so long ago now) - we were not paid during that time, but we received back pay later (which is why I find the gov't shut down so funny, it cost the government MORE to shut down than if we just kept going.

My benifits were not effected.

If you get RIFed, TOTALLY different, but you need to consult your agency - because I believe each does it different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:During the previous shutdown, feds did not got to work but did end up getting paid retroactively.

For RIFs, my understanding is first one in/first one out but not sure it's really that simple. Also, agencies tend to take alot of measures before getting to the point of RIFs- hiring freezes, early-outs, etc.

Surely you mean last one in/first one out?

[Anonymous]

OOPS.. PP here, yes I meant last one in/first one out.

[Anonymous]

If they do a govt shut down, do you think they will give notice? Or, on a Friday, do they announce it for the following Monday?

[Anonymous]

A shutdown would not be a planned event; it is not a money-saving action. A shutdown would happen, like the last time, if there is no agreement on a budget and no continuing resolution to maintain funding. Then, all of a sudden, there's no authorized funding to maintain government operations and non-essential functions & personnel shut down. In that case, there would be little advance notice. If I remember correctly, last time the budget fight went on for a while and there were extended continuing resolutions for a while, until they reached the breaking point. Once the last continuing resolution expired, without agreement on another one or a final budget, the announcement was made that government was shut down as of the following work day. I don't remember if last time it happened in the middle of the week or if we had a weekend to digest it.

[Anonymous]

If they do a govt shut down, do you think they will give notice? Or, on a Friday, do they announce it for the following Monday?

Do you really need a formal notice from someone? We will be shut down if they don't pass another CR or budget... It begins as soon as the last CR ends.

[Anonymous]

When agencies need to do a RIF, they don't just do straight first in/first out. That may be a factor, but there are other factors as well.

[Anonymous]

With a shut down you will get paid, just not on time. Since the government is shut down, there is no one to do payroll. But you will stil get your whole paycheck, just later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With a shut down you will get paid, just not on time. Since the government is shut down, there is no one to do payroll. But you will stil get your whole paycheck, just later.

. This is not true if Congress decides to count those days as furlough days.

[Anonymous]

I've been through both, sort of. I'm a fed and was working in 1995 when the govt shut down. We were off for several weeks and did not get paid during the time but did get retroactive back pay. We couldn't work even if we wanted to.

In 2002 my agency went through a RIF. The process is more complicated than seniority alone. The agency decides the criteria for which employees get cut. They could decide that senior employees are too expensive and make the criteria be GS 14s and above or whatever. Usually an agency will go with a seniority based criteria and even then there is a formula that also takes into account performance evaluations as well as seniority. We Riffed 135 people in 2002. It sucked. I didn't lose my job, but I knew plenty that did. The 200 of us who were left had to take over all that work. With a RIF there is a fair amount of notice, like at least 4 months.

[Anonymous]

During that last big shut down in 95 or 96, I worked for a federal agency that was funded through separate appropriations... so while all (most) of the other feds were off work, we were at work as usual.