September 29, 2021
The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) is closely monitoring the situation on Capitol Hill regarding government funding, which is set to expire Thursday at midnight. NFFE has been in contact with congressional leadership, requesting that a clean Continuing Resolution (CR) is passed quickly, preferably today. It is widely believed that a CR will be passed before the deadline and will keep the government funded for the next three months, but NFFE is preparing contingency plans should Congress fail to pass a CR. The passing of a CR is necessary to avoid a government shutdown.
As a reminder, NFFE fought hard to pass the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act during the previous Congress. This ensures that in the event of a funding lapse, all furloughed employees will receive their pay retroactively upon the government reopening. In the past, furloughed employees relied on the Congress to grant special authority to pay workers for the time spent at home during a shutdown. Under the 2019 law, all workers are guaranteed to receive backpay.
However, it is still important that members are aware of shutdown guidance if a CR is not passed before Thursday at midnight.
If a shutdown happens:
- 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.
- Sign Up for alerts using your personal email HERE.
- Follow NFFE on Facebook @NFFEunion, and Twitter @NFFE_Union
- Gather personal phone numbers and non-gov emails to communicate with members
- Post this memo at your workplace and help spread the word
- Review your personal finances and prepare for the possibility of delayed paychecks
- 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.
Additional resources from OPM: Unemployment Insurance Q&A, Shutdown Guide, Instructions to Agencies regarding pay and leave operations, Shutdown FAQ.