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If you're a federal employee, that comment about the shutdown does seem weirdly cavalier. But as for potential layoffs, there's no telling what could happen there. If you haven't been feeling disposable, that's remarkable. It feels like everyone in the government is disposable at this point, from janitors to generals and everyone in between.
It's complicated this time around. Officially, and by law, for shutdowns, you're either "essential" or "non-essential". "Essential" is *******supposed****** to mean that there is a significant risk of loss of life, injury, or damage to property if the function stops. Police officers, doctors and nurses at health care facilities, and then a skeleton crew to deal with anything truly urgent, like a couple budget and contracting people to issue stop work orders and provide the Administration with information about funding reserves.
Unfortunately, this Administration seems to be warping the legal distinction with the colloquial - the position is necessary in general, or optional. There are all sorts of non-essential, necessary functions that can be paused for 2 weeks but would be catestrophic if eliminated. Litigation is almost never an excepted function but if you fire the nonessential lawyers, the handful of lawyers left with need to each do roughly 80 hours of work per day upon resumption of funding. Doctors are essential but the support staff buying scrubs and on-boarding new nurses and setting up email accounts are not essential, so the place would cease functioning rapidly as supplies run out and the internet shuts off. The national parks are non-essential, so you'd literally just end the national park system minus search and rescue functions (maybe, if that).
The sad reality is that no one knows what is going to happen
It's rare to be "essential" and work through a federal shutdown. I've gone through four shutdowns, and was only deems essential for one (to work a wildfire response). It's important to have this conversation with your supervisor. If you work, you still won't receive a paycheck until the government is up and running again.
Being "non-essential" for a shutdown shouldn't equate to being at risk for a RIF. But, the new rules are there are no rules. :(
Your boss' comments about your job during a RIF sounds horrible. It doesn't seem like it was a constructive conversation. I'm sorry. OPM has a RIF handbook that categorizes employees in three buckets for elimination based on hired authority and tenure. It might be beneficial to review it carefully. (However, who knows if the new administration will follow the rules.)
Waste of time. You think Musk and his crew are gonna read it. Take severance and find a new spot.
We‘re all disposable.
I've been through every furlough/shutdown since 2008. Most of that time I was actually essential because I worked for Funeral Honors and oddly people don't stop dieing just because the government shuts down 🤷🏻♀️. However only one time did we actually not get paid. And in 2019 it was signed into law that all federal employees will get paid for the entire furlough period if that's due to Congress not passing the budget. So late paid vacation.
Now as for a possible RIF. As someone below said, it's about your tenure more than essential non essential. So look at your SF-50 .
It’s tough to hear that after ten years of hard work, especially when it feels like there’s no loyalty anymore. But the truth is, everyone’s job is on shaky ground right now, and it's not just you. The government’s budget is always in flux, and with the uncertainty around shutdowns and possible RIFs, it’s hard to feel secure.
I find as a federal employee, when it comes to snowstorms and shutdowns, it’s best to be non-essential. It just means you don’t have to fight your way in, especially now that telework is very limited.
It is a rough time. I expect my job to survive, but I’m prepared to face things if it doesn’t.
Supervisors are all different. Some are good, some should not be allowed to be supervisors. I’m hoping your supervisor is one of the good ones who is trying to prepare you for the eventuality.
I'd start looking for a new job - you'd be a fool not to. They cut most of the tech people in Dept of Ed and the Digital Services folks as well. All that work is gonna get outsourced, so find a job with a contractor who'll reward you for helping land the new contract. Do it or someone else will.
they recently changed it to excepted and non excepted to avoid the confusion. if you're not excepted.."critical" in this case, you would not work during the furlough. we generally keep a skeleton crew to deal with any Imminent risk of death cases but they can't do the work of the whole office
You probably need to get a resume ready or step up your value to the organization. For some people, growing up is hard to do.
"Not critical" means expendable. You posted two weeks ago. I'm assuming they've dropped you by now. Hit them with an unemployment claim if they didn't have anything built up on you.