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View the recording of the NFFE Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, September 26 regarding a potential government shutdown.

The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) is closely monitoring the situation on Capitol Hill regarding government funding which is set to expire on September 30th.  NFFE has been in contact with congressional leadership requesting that Continuing Resolution (CR) is passed quickly to avoid shutdown.  NFFE’s message to congressional leaders is simple:

Most federal workers live paycheck to paycheck, and they are paid at lower levels than their private sector counterparts.  A shutdown for any length of time is devastating to federal workers and their families.

As a reminder, NFFE fought hard to pass the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act which ensures that in the event of a funding lapse, all furloughed employees will receive their pay retroactively upon the government reopening. However, while passing this law was a great victory for federal employees, it does little to bring financial relief to workers for the duration of a shutdown.

In addition to preparing personal finances to cover bills and other expenses a shutdown, NFFE recommends the following steps to stay safe at work and stay in touch if forced to into a furlough:

  1. Report to Work as usual unless your agency informs you in writing that you are officially furloughed. Otherwise, you risk an unexcused absence if you are not furloughed.
  2. Sign Up for alerts using your personal email.
  3. Write to Congress telling them NO to a government shutdown.
  4. Follow NFFE on Facebook @NFFEunion, and Twitter @NFFE_Union
  5. Gather personal phone numbers and non-gov emails to communicate with members.
  6. Post this memo at your workplace and help spread the word.
  7. Review your personal finances and prepare for the possibility of delayed paychecks.
  8. Help NFFE members with access to emergency loans through the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA), on which NFFE serves on the board of directors. For more information, visit the FEEA website at feea.org.

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