The recent, prolonged government shutdown threw tens of thousands of U.S. federal workers into all-out panic. As of Wednesday when the shutdown started, most of them are already looking down the barrel of unpaid leave. Partisan conflicts over federal spending in Washington have left a vacuum. Democrats seeking to extend these temporary healthcare tax credits, and President Donald Trump eager to use this episode to cement Trump’s desired permanent cuts to the size and cost of government.
Currently, a vast majority of federal workers are not allowed to be paid. Randall, an employee at the Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, expressed his frustration, stating, “I don’t like my pay being held hostage while the government fights over separate issues.” His emotions underscore a greater concern felt by workers across all industries. Yet they are trapped in the middle of an ugly political fight that endangers their livelihoods.
Indeed, the ongoing government shutdown underscores a fundamental issue. Congress, as a matter of course, is unable or unwilling to actually pass an annual budget, creating these unfortunate standoffs. Our federal workers continue to deal with tremendous financial insecurity. Each of them has been put on unpaid leave, leaving them in shock and fear of their livelihoods and futures. One anonymous U.S. Air Force employee highlighted the dilemma faced by many, saying, “I must still show up to work but won’t get paid, because if I don’t it’s considered AWOL.”
Unfortunately this shutdown is not new. The last extended federal government shut down lasted more than a month from late 2018 into early 2019, wreaking havoc on federal workers. With no other option left under these dire circumstances, some workers are taking extreme measures. One federal employee said they needed to withdraw funds from their retirement account just to pay their bills. They added, “Now, they’ve made it more difficult to withdraw from our retirement accounts, so if this goes as long as the last shutdown, I don’t know how I’m going to pay my bills.”
Though some union workers say they’re disgruntled at their union leadership, many other union workers are still cheering on Trump’s reasons for the ongoing shutdown. A worker from the Department of Homeland Security stated, “Despite working without timely pay, I support the shutdown.” This ambivalence among workers shows the difficulty of capturing feelings about the pandemic and its impact on workplaces.
Unfortunately, U.S. government employees often are limited or prohibited from discussing these experiences with the media. As a result, too many voices go unheard because they worry about getting disciplined. One federal worker who voted for Trump expressed their disillusionment, stating, “I voted for Trump, but I did not vote for his abuses against us.” This reflects an increasing awareness by employees of the impacts political decisions have on their lives and finances.
The shutdown’s impact goes beyond the tangible financial concerns. It brings to the forefront questions about governmental accountability and operational efficiency. A worker from the Department of Homeland Security remarked, “The president’s circumvention of Congress’ power of the purse has been left unchecked by the Supreme Court. Checks and balances must be maintained.” Collectively, their statement stresses the dangerous trend of eroding important checks from government in the pursuit of further advancing unchecked executive authority.
As our federal workforce endeavors to move through and beyond this difficult time, uncertainty is the last thing they need. All of us are tired of guessing how long this stalemate will last. They are rightly concerned about its effect on their bottom line and their employment prospects.