5 ms·

Government employees are paid, but contract workers like janitors are not

untog 8y ago
They aren't getting paid. They will get paid when the shutdown is over, but they aren't getting paid right now. An important distinction. EDIT: I'm referring to the employees here, not contractors
- joezydeco 8y ago
  But furloughed contractors are out of that pay permanently. You can't bill for hours you never worked.
  - untog 8y ago
    Yes, I added an edit to clarify I was referring to employees only in my post.
  - sokoloff 8y ago
    Yet the federal employees will be paid for hours not worked...
- lowercased 8y ago
  For direct employees - currently, from what I've recently heard - the legislation in place provides for back pay for them. For contract workers for agencies, it's unclear that any of them will receive back pay. Per the other comment here, I might suspect that there were some contractors who may still have been 'required' for some reason to work, but may not get back pay in the end. It's speculation on my part, but it would not surprise me if more than a few people got caught in this situation.
  - pimlottc 8y ago
    > For direct employees - currently, from what I've recently heard - the legislation in place provides for back pay for them. Almost in place; the bill in question still needs to be signed by the President. All indications are that he will. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s24 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s24 In general, there is nothing that guarantees back pay after a shutdown, though it has happened in every shutdown so far.
    - gizmo686 8y ago
      There is nothing that guarentees pay for fourloghed workers. Those that are required to work have the fair labor standards act, which requires them to get paid during the shutdown. Since the government is violating the FLSA (in order to comply with the anti-deficiancy act), such workers are eligable for not only backpay, but also damages. In one case stemming from the 2013 shutdown damages were calculated at minimum wage for the first 40 hours a week, then the standard overtime rate for anyone working beyond that. This is addition to the backpay of what their pay should have been (so overtime effectivly payed double during this) https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2017-02-16/judge-orders-double-pay-for-thousands-of-federal-workers-affected-by-2013-shutdown https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2017-02-16/judge-orders...
vanattab 8y ago
I work as a contractor and most of us are not effected. The money to pay for the vast majority of contracts is allocated at the time of the contract award. So in my case I think we would be funded for another 2 years. For most of the furloughed civilian employees it's an enforced paid (eventually) holiday.

They aren't getting paid. They will get paid when the shutdown is over, but they aren't getting paid right now. An important distinction. EDIT: I'm referring to the employees here, not contractors

joezydeco 8y ago
But furloughed contractors are out of that pay permanently. You can't bill for hours you never worked.
- untog 8y ago
  Yes, I added an edit to clarify I was referring to employees only in my post.
- sokoloff 8y ago
  Yet the federal employees will be paid for hours not worked...
lowercased 8y ago
For direct employees - currently, from what I've recently heard - the legislation in place provides for back pay for them. For contract workers for agencies, it's unclear that any of them will receive back pay. Per the other comment here, I might suspect that there were some contractors who may still have been 'required' for some reason to work, but may not get back pay in the end. It's speculation on my part, but it would not surprise me if more than a few people got caught in this situation.
- pimlottc 8y ago
  > For direct employees - currently, from what I've recently heard - the legislation in place provides for back pay for them. Almost in place; the bill in question still needs to be signed by the President. All indications are that he will. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s24 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s24 In general, there is nothing that guarantees back pay after a shutdown, though it has happened in every shutdown so far.
  - gizmo686 8y ago
    There is nothing that guarentees pay for fourloghed workers. Those that are required to work have the fair labor standards act, which requires them to get paid during the shutdown. Since the government is violating the FLSA (in order to comply with the anti-deficiancy act), such workers are eligable for not only backpay, but also damages. In one case stemming from the 2013 shutdown damages were calculated at minimum wage for the first 40 hours a week, then the standard overtime rate for anyone working beyond that. This is addition to the backpay of what their pay should have been (so overtime effectivly payed double during this) https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2017-02-16/judge-orders-double-pay-for-thousands-of-federal-workers-affected-by-2013-shutdown https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2017-02-16/judge-orders...

vanattab 8y ago

I work as a contractor and most of us are not effected. The money to pay for the vast majority of contracts is allocated at the time of the contract award. So in my case I think we would be funded for another 2 years. For most of the furloughed civilian employees it's an enforced paid (eventually) holiday.