As the federal government shutdown threatens to become the longest ever, thousands of federal workers in Wisconsin are missing paychecks.
Wisconsin is home to about 18,000 federal workers, according to data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Though many have been furloughed since the shutdown began Oct. 1, essential workers like law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers are required to continue working.
The shutdown entered its 35th day on Nov. 4, officially tying for the longest in history. The other record shutdown was from December 2018 to January 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term.
As the shutdown continues, here’s what to know about back pay for federal workers in Wisconsin:
How many paychecks have federal workers missed during the government shutdown?
With the exception of active-duty military members and some Department of Homeland Security officers, most federal workers have not been paid since mid-October.
On Oct. 10, federal workers received a smaller-than-usual paycheck to cover the days they worked in late September before government funding lapsed. On Oct. 24, workers missed a paycheck altogether.
Are furloughed federal workers legally entitled to back pay?
Federal workers are entitled to back pay, per a law that was passed during the last shutdown in 2019.
The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act states that federal workers furloughed during a lapse in government funding “shall be paid for the period of the lapse” at their “standard rate of pay.” The law applies to any government shutdown after Dec. 22, 2018.
What has the Trump administration said about back pay for federal workers?
Despite the 2019 law, the Trump administration has threatened to block furloughed federal workers from receiving back pay after the shutdown ends.
On Oct. 7, Trump said “it depends on who we’re talking about” regarding back pay for furloughed workers.
“For the most part, we’re going to take care of our people,” Trump said. “There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”
In October, the White House also circulated a new legal analysis arguing furloughed federal workers are not entitled to back pay, USA TODAY reported. The memo argued that an amendment added shortly after the original law was passed does not automatically guarantee back pay to all federal workers.
However, the analysis contradicts another memo the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management released in September confirming federal workers would get paid.
“After the lapse in appropriations has ended, employees who were required to perform excepted work during the lapse will receive retroactive pay for those work periods,” the memo said.
When would federal workers receive back pay?
Per the 2019 law, furloughed federal workers should get paid as soon as possible after the shutdown ends.
Federal workers are owed back pay “at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates,” the law says.
Are furloughed federal workers eligible for unemployment benefits in Wisconsin?
Some furloughed federal workers in Wisconsin may qualify unemployment benefits if they meet certain eligibility requirements. Workers who get unemployment benefits will have that amount subtracted from any back pay they receive after the shutdown ends.
Find more information here about unemployment benefits for furloughed federal workers.
How many federal workers are in Wisconsin?
As of September 2024, Wisconsin had 17,946 federal civilian employees, not including uniformed military personnel or federal contractors.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The government shutdown has reached record length. Will federal workers in Wisconsin get paid when it ends?
Reporting by Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
