Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honest question: I've heard that in the event of a government shutdown leading to federal workers being placed on furlough, they are eventually compensated for their lost wages once the shutdown concludes. What's the rationale behind this policy? It seems that during the furlough, no productive work is being performed, and the majority, if not all, private contractors do not receive any retroactive compensation. Moreover, the shutdown itself is usually a result of insufficient funding or disagreements regarding future funding.

Just trying to understand, thanks!

It's not a policy, it's a law.

If your point is that private contractors should also receive back pay, I won't argue with you.

If private contractors don't like it, they can take on other clients. The aren't employees.

The people who work for private contracting companies are employees.

[Anonymous]

Yes employees of the private company they work for. Contractors should take any complaints to their HR departments. Yet many contractors are paid. The people who suffer are hourly workers and low GS levels.

[Anonymous]

Contractors who don’t work in essential fields go on unemployment during shutdowns . They never get paid

[Anonymous]

1. not their choice
2. the work doesn't go away so - cases don't just disappear b/c Congress can't get their act together to pay salaries
3. from a policy standpoint, it's not a good idea to let the federal workforce get screwed out of pay due to politics. not a good way to retain people.
4. congressional staff wants to get paid

[Anonymous]

It's not their fault they're not working. They're legally NOT ALLOWED to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Contractors who don’t work in essential fields go on unemployment during shutdowns . They never get paid

Yup, this is true and those companies SUCK. A lot of companies are willing to carry their employees on overhead for up to four weeks but many of them won't.

[Anonymous]

Because federal employees have to do the work when they go back.

And federal contractors were created to save the government money in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honest question: I've heard that in the event of a government shutdown leading to federal workers being placed on furlough, they are eventually compensated for their lost wages once the shutdown concludes. What's the rationale behind this policy? It seems that during the furlough, no productive work is being performed, and the majority, if not all, private contractors do not receive any retroactive compensation. Moreover, the shutdown itself is usually a result of insufficient funding or disagreements regarding future funding.

Just trying to understand, thanks!

OP, just to be clear, I continue to go to work as a federal employee during furlough with exactly the same schedule and exactly the same workload. My specific role is deemed essential and doesn't slow down at all.

There are a lot of people like me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Contractors who don’t work in essential fields go on unemployment during shutdowns . They never get paid

You have to wait a period of time before applying and its no where near the income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Contractors who don’t work in essential fields go on unemployment during shutdowns . They never get paid

Yup, this is true and those companies SUCK. A lot of companies are willing to carry their employees on overhead for up to four weeks but many of them won't.

Most cannot afford it depending on how they are set up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Contractors get paid. Contacting officers and their non-fed counterparts have been working like crazy the last 2 weeks to get contracts and funding in place. Any productive work that can continue, will continue. Contractors will work “at risk” and we will continue to pay our subcontractors for work performed. Work that can only occur in a secure location or on government systems will halt. We have identified those contracts and subs and made arrangements as best we can. Some people will take accrued paid vacation, others will go to training courses or help out on other programs.

You know who really gets screwed? All the people who work in food service and gift shops at the Smithsonian museums and national monuments / parks. Those people make minimum wage for a contractor and only get paid for shifts they work. They won’t get back pay.

It depends on how the contract is written and funded. Some contractors get paid, some don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because federal employees have to do the work when they go back.

And federal contractors were created to save the government money in the first place.

Federal contractors were created to enrich private for-profit companies with public money.

[Anonymous]

My husband will continue to work because the courts do not shut down and the courts don’t give a flying pig if the government is shutdown. Should he be working with no backpay?

[Anonymous]

I wonder why people are never surprised how come federal workers don't get comparable salaries as private sector.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about the other side of the equation? Tax payers are paying for services not rendered during the shutdown, is that fair to the tax payers?

Fortunately for the taxpayers, at least those of us who don't live in D.C., we have a good venue to seek relief for this unfairness: Don't elect lawmakers who can't manage to keep the lights on in the U.S. government.

We don't vote for Congress. We vote for one member of Congress. The shutdown is caused by other members of Congress.

Well, enough of yall keep voting for these wild-eyed clowns who want to shut down the gubmint.