For me twice.
Once when visiting Seattle, I wanted to take my family to see Ballard Locks and the salmon running. Nope! It is run by the US Army Corps of Engineers so no visitors. I don’t know if the boats and fish were not allowed to use it.
The second time, a branch of BofA basically stole $500 from me. After repeated attempts to get it back from the bank manager, I filed a complaint with the Comptroller of the Currency. But it was not handled until after the government got back from shutdown. Happy note, once they did it took 48 hours for the BofA district manager to call and apologize, say that manager would be receiving training, and for me to go into the branch, she has your check. I did and she did. She was most displeased.
Once critically, though how many more indirectly, who knows. I lost my prior job in large part due to shutdowns in Trump 1.0 affecting our funding, other planned cuts on what was fundamentally a social service, and increasing viable competition from AI that it was better to cut the costs and move out of the field when the contract was up shortly after Trump 2.0 began and it was obvious that the administration was going to do exactly what they said.
I was furloughed today. So, yes.
That sucks. I’m sorry.
My wife works as a subcontractor to the federal government and it’s still up in the air if they’re actually working now or not (they were told they would be but then someone else said maybe not and the person who WOULD make the final call is… furloughed)
We’re supposed to make a trip to a national park next weekend. Supposedly, they’ll be “open” but if it’s just a skeleton crew then there’s no telling what the actual park condition will be for parking, trash and maintenance.
This is my fourth shutdown as a federal employee, starting with the one in 2013. For the last three, my employer dug some change out of the couch cushions and kept the place running beyond the official gov’t-wide shutdown date:
- The shutdown in early 2018 was short enough so that I was never off work.
- The shutdown at the end of 2018 was 35 days long, and I was off of work for four weeks of that.
- The current shutdown started at midnight last night, and I’m on duty today. No word on when my employer’s couch-cushion money will run out, but I’d bet it will be a week or less. Contract employees got sent home this morning.
Speaking as a person with plenty of savings, a shutdown amounts to a lovely vacation. I can’t really leave town, but in 2013 and 2018-2019, I got plenty of stuff done around the house.
As a taxpayer and a person who recognizes that there are a lot of households and businesses that struggle financially during a shutdown, a shutdown is a horrible travesty and I wish our government weren’t so dysfunctional.
Just out of interest, I looked this up:
As of February 2024, 10 funding gaps have led to federal employees being furloughed
So, this would be the 11th. Three of those were under Trump, which technically ties him with Reagan, but Reagan’s were all one day or less, making Trump the undisputed Shutdown Champion of America. And let’s not forget who he said should be blamed for a shutdown, before he became president…
Yes, this one. As an American living overseas, we ping the embassy a couple times a year for stuff. We had an appointment for something in two weeks but now they’re not responding to messages about what we’re supposed to bring and we’re assuming they’re closed except for urgent business like passport renewals.
Tomorrow was the appointment to start my Social Security.
Mine too, except I have to be at work. The last time I was ok with money, this time might be a bit different since I just bought a car a few months ago.
On top of that, we were informed today that our office was being moved, and we will be moved by December.
We have a number of seniors who came (or came back) to work for us on an ongoing basis as contract employees, meaning they are officially classified as contractors rather than actual federal employees. They were all sent home this morning.
I was furloughed for all four of those. I was in the Navy during the 1990 shutdown, but I don’t recall being affected by it.
This is what really pisses me off. Both historical precedent and Law say that I’ll eventually get back pay, but contractors are just screwed.
Personally no. My brother is a long time federal employee and has been furloughed several times.
Fed employee since 86, so I’ve lost track how many shutdowns have occurred. Only once - back in the 80s IIRC, did we receive “furlough notices.” Not sure if it was that time or another, but I actually filed for unemployment, as I was younger, less financially secure, w/ new house mortgage/young kid. That was a hassle as I later had to figure out the process to repay it.
It used to cause some stress due to the financial uncertainty. Before they became so common it was not always a sure thing that we would get paid through the shutdown. IIRC, some paychecks were delayed.
Mostly, it just is an added unnecessary hassle at work. And no one really knows the rules WRT reporting time, taking leave, etc. And, as a taxpayer, the ridiculous waste of folk having to do such unnecessary administrative tasks, in addition to meetings/worry over uncertainty, is disheartening.
During one of the shutdowns, probably the same one you’re thinking of, I was furloughed, despite having a job that had always been considered “essential” in the past (SSA). We were given information on applying for unemployment in case the furlough went on long enough for us to qualify. I did register at the local unemployment office, but as it turned out I was back at work before I could collect. I can’t recall if I received back pay for the furloughed time.