The Government is closed! (No Politics)

[claphamsa]

So, no thread? I figure people are talking in the Obama thread... but I dont go in there since being banned would suck.

whos affected? What have you been doing?

today is my third day off... I have gotten very little done. Today, I failed to sleep until 10. Im a failure as an unemployed slacker!

Thinking about maybe cleaning the shed.... but i doubt ill get to that.

[heybrad]

You can come over and mow my lawn.

[Butter]

Wondering what people who are actually affected by this are doing planning-wise... did you know this was coming for a while? Is this just a fact of life now that it seems to come up every year or so? How long do you think it might last?

[claphamsa]

Wondering what people who are actually affected by this are doing planning-wise... did you know this was coming for a while? Is this just a fact of life now that it seems to come up every year or so? How long do you think it might last?

yeah, this isnt a shock. weve been to the brink so many times.... I can hold out for about 6 months, depending on how much i cut back.

I think well be out for about 2.5 weeks. until we hit the debt ceiling no one will care.

[Logan]

I work for a non-appropriated agency so I'm not impacted by these things (except for when the President calls for a pay freeze, and for some reason we go along with it even though giving us all raises means zilch to the overall deficit)...but I can't imagine being told to not show up for work.

All politics aside, it sucks. Good luck.

[spleen1015]

I read a story today about how military families are effected.

It is sad that youth sports on military installations are cancelled while this is going on. It is hard enough being a kid to a parent in the military.

[claphamsa]

I work for a non-appropriated agency so I'm not impacted by these things (except for when the President calls for a pay freeze, and for some reason we go along with it even though giving us all raises means zilch to the overall deficit)...but I can't imagine being told to not show up for work.

All politics aside, it sucks. Good luck.
i figured it out with all the freezes etc, I lost 13% in purchasing power in the last 3 years :(

[britrock88]

I'm grateful to be in state government. Hoping all you feds get back to work (_paid_ work) soon.

[RainMaker]

Mine isn't as bad as those with jobs furloughed. But I had an extension on my tax return and am now expecting a $3500 refund which apparently won't get sent out.

[cartman]

If the shutdown lasts into early next week, hopefully FEMA will be able to respond to any catastrophic damage if Karen turns into a hurricane and hits the Gulf coast.

[sterlingice]

Looks like forecasts are favorable around that for now: Gulf is dry and the cold front keeps pushing the projected path to the east so a weaker storm and a more glancing blow

SI

[miami_fan]

I read a story today about how military families are effected.

It is sad that youth sports on military installations are cancelled while this is going on. It is hard enough being a kid to a parent in the military.

Yeah it kinda sucks for the kids. Plus it ruined my inaugural season coaching pee wee soccer.

On a less serious note, the fun will really start this weekend. AFN only is broadcasting the all news channel during the shutdown. That is right. Unless people have cable, there will be no MLB playoffs, no college football, no NHL hockey, and no NFL football. And that is just the sports channel.

Almost reminds of the first time I was overseas 19 years ago.:D

[duckman]

We're still working with pay until Friday. Monday is when they're going to decide who is essential and who isn't.

[miked]

My lab is funded about 80-90% by the NIH. I was on study section to review grants that was canceled, and there is a major October 5 deadline that looks like it won't happen. We are still being held to the deadline by our university, but they will not be uploading any grants. Luckily, my grants were awarded in the Feb-Mar cycle, so we got our money for the year. We have a major grant that we were supposed to have a review meeting with the NIH later this month that is on the fence.

Several of my friends are furloughed at the CDC.

[sterlingice]

I work at a semi-government medical institution and they are still sticking with the early October NIH grant deadline, too. However, we had a Town Hall yesterday and I got the impression from the Q&A that we just don't know what impact we will see from this. Grant funding is very important to the institution but it's one of many revenue streams.

SI

[larrymcg421]

This doesn't impact me thankfully, but I have a couple friends that are worried. One is a federal worker who is considered essential so she has to work, but they won't be paying her for it. Another friend is a nanny for a federal employee and she will have no work to do during the shutdown.

[claphamsa]

If the shutdown lasts into early next week, hopefully FEMA will be able to respond to any catastrophic damage if Karen turns into a hurricane and hits the Gulf coast.

emergency personnel are essential. If that happens Ill get called back in (I wont respond, but they will ask)

[claphamsa]

We're still working with pay until Friday. Monday is when they're going to decide who is essential and who isn't.

my GF works for the judiciary, so she has till the 15th for them to start cutting...

[claphamsa]

This doesn't impact me thankfully, but I have a couple friends that are worried. One is a federal worker who is considered essential so she has to work, but they won't be paying her for it. Another friend is a nanny for a federal employee and she will have no work to do during the shutdown.

one thing about this. if you work you WILL get paid, just maybe in 5 months. It would be an ADA violation to not pay them.

[Marc Vaughan]

One is a federal worker who is considered essential so she has to work, but they won't be paying her for it.

Err what? - I don't think I understand she 'HAS' to work but won't be paid ...

(thats not how my life works - I don't 'have' to do anything unless I want to ... if she agrees to work without pay its her choice but no one 'has' to work ever, regardless of whether they're being paid its their choice - otherwise they should be called 'slaves')

[Arles]

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1381324_10200685414760088_1078104009_n.jpg

[larrymcg421]

Err what? - I don't think I understand she 'HAS' to work but won't be paid ...

As claphasma noted above, she will be paid, but not until the shutdown is over.

(thats not how my life works - I don't 'have' to do anything unless I want to ... if she agrees to work without pay its her choice but no one 'has' to work ever, regardless of whether they're being paid its their choice - otherwise they should be called 'slaves')

Yes, she's not being tied up and forced to go to work. But she has to work without pay because she's an essential employee. If she seeks another job during the shutdown, she will lose her current one.

[Raiders Army]

Yesterday I ran 6 miles. Today I mowed my yard (which took 2.5 hours) and I'm volunteering at the concessions stand in less than an hour. We provided SF 8s to folks for unemployment. Oklahoma has a max benefit of $386 a week, which isn't much.

The way I figure, this'll go one of three ways:
1. We don't get paid for our furloughs
2. We get back pay
3. We're allowed to take leave and get paid

Two out of three work for me. I have two folks that can't seem to hold onto an leave, so only one out of three works for them. I figure option 1 is not likely to happen, so I'll roll the dice and not apply for unemployment due to the hassle (have to pay them back if we get paid) and $386 isn't much money.

That being said, I told my wife that it's ridiculous that they would entertain the option for back pay. I'm sure all those in the private sector when they're laid off wouldn't get paid for not working so why should we? It'd be interesting to hear from those outside of federal service what they think.

[fantom1979]

One is a federal worker who is considered essential so she has to work, but they won't be paying her for it.

This is the same boat I am in. I will get paid eventually for my work, but if the shutdown continues, I will not get my check on time. Overall I feel lucky, better to work for delayed pay than not work at all.

[larrymcg421]

And my friend's grandfather just passed away today. She may not be able to go to the funeral because she's not allowed to take time off right now.

[Wolfpack]

I don't have a government job, but my company does a fair amount of government contract work, particularly through NIH/NIEHS. We haven't been affected by the shutdown yet, but the home office up in Maryland's begun scaling back a little on worker time in some corners. I don't think anything really adverse will happen unless this drags out a long time and the whole armageddon scenario of the debt limit not being raised comes into play. If the government can't pay us for our work, then that will cause problems. I have no idea what will be done if that comes to pass. We don't have nearly enough non-Federal work to keep everyone employed.

[Desnudo]

Yesterday I ran 6 miles. Today I mowed my yard (which took 2.5 hours) and I'm volunteering at the concessions stand in less than an hour. We provided SF 8s to folks for unemployment. Oklahoma has a max benefit of $386 a week, which isn't much.

The way I figure, this'll go one of three ways:
1. We don't get paid for our furloughs
2. We get back pay
3. We're allowed to take leave and get paid

Two out of three work for me. I have two folks that can't seem to hold onto an leave, so only one out of three works for them. I figure option 1 is not likely to happen, so I'll roll the dice and not apply for unemployment due to the hassle (have to pay them back if we get paid) and $386 isn't much money.

That being said, I told my wife that it's ridiculous that they would entertain the option for back pay. I'm sure all those in the private sector when they're laid off wouldn't get paid for not working so why should we? It'd be interesting to hear from those outside of federal service what they think.

Well generally if you are laid off you get severance pay, say a month for every year you've been there up to a limit. So that might be the closest equivalent.

[claphamsa]

Congress Expected to Grant Back Pay to Furloughed Feds - Pay & Benefits - GovExec.com (http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2013/10/congress-expected-grant-back-pay-furloughed-feds/71348/?oref=ge-flyin)

I have been assured this is legit and not fake journalism

[duckman]

We're now told that we will work all day Monday (no idea where they're getting the funds) and begin the furlough process Tuesday morning.

[claphamsa]

We're now told that we will work all day Monday (no idea where they're getting the funds) and begin the furlough process Tuesday morning.

you are VA? usually there is authority to re-purpose funds in extreme circumstances.... im sure the VA has X or multi year funds somewhere.

[duckman]

Yeah, I work for the benefits side of the VA. The hospital is funded through 2014. I'm guessing they're using emergency funds for us that they were using to pay our mandatory overtime. When Tuesday comes, we're supposed to go down to just claims processing (my area) and support services and send everyone else home.

[finketr]

Well generally if you are laid off you get severance pay, say a month for every year you've been there up to a limit. So that might be the closest equivalent.

This isn't correct in my experience. You only get severance if you're completely separated from the company (a friendlier way of saying fired) as opposed to just laid off.

Speaking of which, I've been laid off for three weeks this year. I won't be seeing back pay.

[fantom1979]

My brother is a civilian working for the DOD. He already has had 12 furlough days this year (completely unpaid), and now he has been out of work 4 days thanks to the shutdown. Not going to be a good year on his W-2 this year.

[ISiddiqui]

I've been home for a few days. Not really getting anything done - though getting a nasty cold tends to do that (really, cold, during furlough?). Also not entirely sure if we'll get paid for time off, so am planning to spend as little as I can.

[Jon]

I've been driving my wife crazy the last 4 furlough days.

We're taking our 1st anniversary trip this weekend (preplanned). Will likely be the last hurrah for a while.

[Thomkal]

Well I'm not a government worker, but right now I'm wishing I had ObamaCare already, as for the first time in 20+ years, I was sick enough that I had to go see a doctor-with no insurance. And I find out I have Pneumonia. Lovely. I left feeling much worse after the doctor visit, chest x-rays, steroid shot, two prescriptions (one costing over $100) drained my wallet as much as the pneumonia has drained my body.

[tarcone]

My nephew was furloughed. But hes a single, late 20s dude making 6 figures. Im sure he's ok.

[Groundhog]

I'm just kinda hoping ya'll get it sorted before I arrive on the 15th.

[Solecismic]

The website where you report telepest calls is down, with a smug little message about the government shutdown.

[cuervo72]

The website where you report telepest calls is down, with a smug little message about the government shutdown.

We were talking about the do not call folks over dinner last night (in-laws are in town), and I noted as they complained about an apparent increase in calls (which, um, most of which are actually from the Republican Party) that they're probably not fielding complaints at the moment. So telemarketers, GO WILD! But hey, the list is administered by non-essential employees, so we probably don't need the service anyway.

The FCC is also not taking calls. Not that I answer them there, but I've been off since Tuesday. I have enough PTO to get me through next week, after which I will be furloughed (along with just about everyone else from my company who isn't already being furloughed this Monday, as basically all we have are gov't contracts).

[claphamsa]

Still nothing... may get something... may not.

hows everyone holding up? I find myself checking politico 3 times a day :) and I wont get charged leave for last weeks vacation... not that I needed more leave.