Government shut down will affect you

[LilGMom]

We live in a military area (two Navy bases, and three Air Force bases, plus numerous OLFs, Out Lying Fields) so this shut-down will be felt hard around here. In my family DH is a Air Force Reservist and a DoD civilian employee. I am a civilian working for a private company that maintains a military base. Fortunately my job is safe until at least October since it was funded and paid for last October. Dh's job.... we don't know just yet. If he gets furloughed he won't get paid and he can't use leave during the time that he is off to make up for the loss of income. If he doesn't get furloughed he'll at least be working but still may not get paid until who knows when. I make a decent salary but it is less than half of what DH makes when you combine his civilian and Reserve pay. As far as an IRS refund, well we got stuck paying this year despite already paying through the nose during the year. I'd love to be able to hold onto our IRS tax bill until we see if and when DH will be getting paid but I know we can't do that. We can't withhold paying the gov't but they can withhold paying us.

 

[Hoodie]

Not sure what DH will do. He has not be told his leave is cancle or anything. He is supposed to leave Sunday night and get home Monday. What will they make him do, drive right back? I don't want him getting in trouble that's for sure. Maybe they will tell him one way or the other on Saturday. I hope!

Appropriations expire at 12:01am Saturday, so unless there is something brewing by Sat. night, he won't be leaving on Sunday.

 

[Hoodie]

As far as an IRS refund, well we got stuck paying this year despite already paying through the nose during the year. I'd love to be able to hold onto our IRS tax bill until we see if and when DH will be getting paid but I know we can't do that. We can't withhold paying the gov't but they can withhold paying us.

I'm in the same boat. "Sorry IRS - can't pay you because you aren't paying me!" I don't think that will work.

 

[JB2K]

So, he might still be able to come home and not get paid which means we really shouldn't go to Disney. Or he might not be allowed to come home at all wich means definitely no Disney trip. Plus we are supposed to be staying at Shades of Green for some of our stay which I don't even know if it will remain open or not.

Shades of Green is not operated by taxpayer dollars -- rather, it is operated by what is called "non-appropriated" funds, meaning SoG earns its' own operating expenses.

I see the rumor mill is going full-blast on The DIS...

 

[wvjules]

Shades of Green is not operated by taxpayer dollars -- rather, it is operated by what is called "non-appropriated" funds, meaning SoG earns its' own operating expenses.

I see the rumor mill is going full-blast on The DIS...

I actually think this thread is pretty factual. If there are rumors on here can you point them out and correct them at least?

 

[shortbun]

I read something that said it won't affect the military at all.

It will effect small things, like getting passport,
museums
The mail will still run
I'm sure you will still get your refuns
people will still get SSI

Um, I heard on ABC and CBS this morning that soldiers in Afganistan and Iraq will not be getting paid. IRS refunds from returns done on paper will not get processed. Many people will be working without pay, many.

I won't be touched but I have all my ducks in a row and we already filed an extention.

 

[Hoodie]

FYI - this is from OPM on the leave question:

Questions regarding leave:
Q: May an employee not excepted from the furlough take previously approved paid leave (e.g., annual, sick, court, military leave, or leave for bone marrow or organ donation) during a shutdown furlough? A. No. All paid leave during a shutdown furlough period must be canceled because the requirement to furlough supersedes leave rights. The Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1341 et seq.) does not allow authorization of any expenditure or obligation before an appropriation is made, unless authorized by law. Paid leave creates a debt to the Government that is not authorized by the Act. Therefore, agencies are instructed that during a shutdown furlough, all paid leave must be canceled.

Q: May an excepted employee take previously approved paid leave or be granted new requests for paid leave during a shutdown furlough? A. No. When an excepted employee is not working or not performing excepted activities in compliance with the Antideficiency Act, he or she cannot be in a paid leave status. Excepted employees must be either performing excepted activities or furloughed during any absence from work. The furlough must be documented by a furlough notice. If an excepted employee refuses to report for work after being ordered to do so, he or she will be considered in an absence without leave (AWOL) and will be subject to any consequences that may follow from being AWOL.

Sounds like any and all leave will be cancelled and any excepted employee MUST report to work throughout the shutdown.

Man that bites for people on leave! I know someone who is supposed to be on sick leave as paternity leave next week! My boss is supposed to go to Disney as well. We're supposedly "excepted" employees. I really don't want to have to deal with my boss after she had to cancel a Disney trip.

 

[jsmith]

I do soldier training support-we are in the middle of a large exercise preparing units for deployment-this afternoon three DOD GS civilians were recalled to their home station in the event that they are furloughed-so they wouldnt be caught here. We were told that the exercise will go forward because soldiers still have to work and most of the civilians are contractors who are arleady funded.

 

[TDC Nala]

I wonder how he will know to return if he can't get on the Blackberry.

Our agency has given us a number to call for a message center that is supposed to be updated with the status. There is also the OPM website. We check it for weather closures, I'd assume we can also check it for work status (unless there is no one to update it). Besides, when they do agree to a budget it is going to be all over the news.

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

OPM JUST posted some general guidelines (about 20 minutes ago):

If there is a lapse in appropriations, during the employee's next scheduled work day (i.e.,2 Saturday or Sunday for weekend employees; Monday for all other employees), an agency shall have its non-excepted employees perform -for up to a half-day (e.g., up to four hours) -such "orderly shutdown" activities as are needed for the agency's implementation of its contingency plan (e.g., turning in equipment if required). Non-excepted employees
who are scheduled to telework on their next scheduled work day may perfonn these shutdown activities from their telework location, if an existing telework agreement is in place. In addition, agencies at their discretion may allow other employees to conduct shutdown activities from a remote location, even without an existing telework agreement, if the nature ofthe employees' shutdown activities are de minimis (i.e., can be completed in approximately 15 minutes). For example, such activities would include receiving and acknowledging receipt of an electronic furlough notice and adjusting voicemail and email to reflect current work status. All other non-excepted employees will be expected to report to work on their next scheduled work day to carry out orderly shutdown activities.

I can't find this at OPM.gov. Link please?

 

[Bobcats2003]

I work in a federal building that has a few banks and a child care facility utilized by the public. Even those entities will be closed due to this shutdown ...it goes to show it will be more peolple affected by this, not just fed employees.

 

[SunnyP4Disney]

I can't find this at OPM.gov. Link please?

Try the link I posted earlier. www.opm.gov/furlough2011

It should have the updated info. To the poster that said the rumor mill was abound on the Dis, I pointed out INCORRECT info you posted about military pay in your previous post. I believe most people on here have a good grasp of the situation by relying on guidelines released by OPM. Many questions are answered there.

 

[Hoodie]

I can't find this at OPM.gov. Link please?

Sorry - OMB (I don't know if OPM has updated their stuff yet or not)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2011/m11-13.pdf

 

[Hoodie]

Try the link I posted earlier. www.opm.gov/furlough2011

It should have the updated info. To the poster that said the rumor mill was abound on the Dis, I pointed out INCORRECT info you posted about military pay in your previous post. I believe most people on here have a good grasp of the situation by relying on guidelines released by OPM. Many questions are answered there.

I actually think this thread has been very helpful. We STILL haven't heard anything from the powers that be at our agency, other than "we think the agency will be excepted." I've gotten a lot more from the compilation on this thread than in any one spot from the news, OPM, OMB, or anywhere else.

 

[kiddo76]

DH as managment just found out he is an excepted employee. He had a business trip planned for next week, which has officially been cancelled. They are also bringing everyone out on TDY home. It was not a fun day at work for him.

 

[SunnyP4Disney]

I actually think this thread has been very helpful. We STILL haven't heard anything from the powers that be at our agency, other than "we think the agency will be excepted." I've gotten a lot more from the compilation on this thread than in any one spot from the news, OPM, OMB, or anywhere else.

I was pointing out that most of the people participating in this thread have a very good understanding of what could potentially happen. I was not telling everyone they should just check out the links, but demonstrating that we are using those links along with other directives to get the facts out there and dispel any confusion.

I think you misinterpreted my intent.

 

[Hoodie]

I was pointing out that most of the people participating in this thread have a very good understanding of what could potentially happen. I was not telling everyone they should just check out the links, but demonstrating that we are using those links along with other directives to get the facts out there and dispel any confusion.

I think you misinterpreted my intent.

Not at all - I think you misinterpretted me. I was agreeing with you.

 

[SunnyP4Disney]

Not at all - I think you misinterpretted me. I was agreeing with you.

I apologize. The eye rolling smiley threw mw off, I guess.

 

[Hoodie]

I apologize. The eye rolling smiley threw mw off, I guess.

Sorry! it was more rolling my eyes at the fact that we can't seem to get all this info in one place (other than the Dis!!) or even from official powers that be.

Seriously, if it wasn't for the info on this thread, I'd have no idea what to expect in the event of a furlough.

 

[punkin]

Sorry! it was more rolling my eyes at the fact that we can't seem to get all this info in one place (other than the Dis!!) or even from official powers that be.

Seriously, if it wasn't for the info on this thread, I'd have no idea what to expect in the event of a furlough.

The Washington Post seems to have the best info, but that's pretty patchy too. I think the problem is that no one really expected this to happen so pretty much everyone is unprepared.