Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 18:48     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
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!


So federal employees are on salary(get paid a yearly anmount) and there is a law saying in case of a shutdown federal employees will get back pay. Some employees will have to go to work without pay.

Private contractors are give a set sum to do the work of the contract. It is a risk every contractor takes when bidding for a contract. You may lose money on the contract, break even, not make as much as hoped for or make a lot.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 17:44     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
Contractors should get paid as the money was allocated for them
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 17:41     Subject: Re:Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
Anonymous wrote:Why do we let politicians go home in August if there is no budget.

We need a law saying they can’t go back to their states until we have a budget.

Why do they get to be late on their deliverables every.single.year?!?


You can WFH, so why can't they? They're still negotiating for a budget.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 17:33     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
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.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 17:32     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Does it make sense to pay backpay for shutdowns? Not really. But shutdowns themselves don't make sense.


It's basically a lockout - an employer telling its employees that they can't work, can't take another job, and have to return as soon as they declare. Yet it's not sensible to pay? Yeah, I get it - the employees in many cases aren't going actual work for the government (legally they can't) but the employer is specifically telling them not to work even though they continue to be employed.

Just so it's clear - it's not like a vacation. You can't plan anything around it. You don't know until midnight on Sept. 30 that it's starting, and it could last an hour, a day, a week, a month. And you're not getting paid. Who could just go off and have fun during that period.

It's horribly inefficient to be sure - I'd rather work for my pay than not - but it is entirely because Congress and the President can't get their acts together (obviously the blame falls more specifically in each shutdown). If nothing else, federal employees should get paid as recompense for the big FU C and P give them every so often.


Not the President's job. President asks for the moon. Congress gives whatever they decide.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 17:31     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
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.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 15:09     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
I'm a contractor who works by the hour. It's a great gig most of the time, but whenever there's a shutdown I am either declared essential or I don't get paid. I'm hoping this shutdown is less impactful than my recent two-week jury duty.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 14:05     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
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.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 13:55     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
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?


Why are we paying legislators salaries when they’re not doing their jobs, thereby costing us far more money than we’d spend without these operational interruptions?
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 13:48     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
A great solution to this would be to stop paying legislators *and their staffs* for the duration of the shutdown. My guess is we would see no more shutdowns!
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 13:43     Subject: Re:Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
Anonymous wrote:Why do we let politicians go home in August if there is no budget.

We need a law saying they can’t go back to their states until we have a budget.

Why do they get to be late on their deliverables every.single.year?!?

This is a really good idea.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 13:31     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
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.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 13:31     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
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?


The tax payers can discuss this with their Members of Congress.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 13:29     Subject: Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
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?
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2023 12:15     Subject: Re:Why do federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown or furlough?
Why do we let politicians go home in August if there is no budget.

We need a law saying they can’t go back to their states until we have a budget.

Why do they get to be late on their deliverables every.single.year?!?