FEDERAL WORKERS Employees in all three branches of government are vulnerable to furlough, or temporary unpaid leave, although each agency makes its own final decisions, according to a report last month by the Congressional Research Service. However, some high-level employees, such as the president and presidential appointees, are not subject to furlough. Other so-called "essential" workers must work during a shutdown, some with and others without pay. For example, exempt workers include those whose work is critical for national security or public health and safety, such as air traffic controllers and border security agents, according to federal guidance. Affected workers may be able to receive pay retroactively, as has happened after past shutdowns, but such payments are not guaranteed, CRS staff said. About 800,000 federal workers were furloughed in November 1995; the next month, nearly 300,000 were furloughed and another nearly 500,000 worked without pay. Federal contractors are also likely to be affected. In the last shutdown, more than 20 percent of federal contracts, or nearly $4 billion, were involved, researchers said. Members of Congress cannot be furloughed, according to CRS.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 19:17:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015