As the threat of a government shutdown looms, so does the prospect of “mass firings” at the federal level. President Donald Trump said over the weekend that if the government shuts down, the administration may take the step of eliminating federal workers. “We are going to cut a lot of the people that … we’re able to cut on a permanent basis,” he told NBC.
During a government shutdown, non-essential operations across the federal government halt as workers are temporarily furloughed or put on leave. Since January 2019, under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, all furloughed federal employees are guaranteed back pay once funding is restored. Previously, back pay was not automatic — but Congress usually passed legislation afterward to compensate workers.
But, if the recent past is any indication, those workers always return to their jobs, says Christopher Bosso, professor of public policy and political science at Northeastern.
