Federal Workers & Pay

Who Gets Paid During a Government Shutdown?

Short Answer

Not everyone is paid on the normal schedule during a shutdown. Some workers continue to be paid because their work is funded by money that has not lapsed. Others may work without immediate pay or be furloughed until funding resumes.

Excepted federal employees may be required to work during a lapse even if regular pay is delayed. Furloughed federal employees are placed in temporary non-duty, non-pay status. Military pay depends on the affected appropriation and any separate pay authority. Contractors depend on their employer, contract, and agency direction.

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Detailed Explanation

Pay status during a shutdown depends on the worker's legal category and funding source. A person can be essential to the public and still not receive a normal paycheck during the lapse if the appropriation that funds that pay has expired.

The current DHS-focused partial shutdown is a good example of why the distinction matters: many federal agencies are funded, while affected DHS components follow lapse procedures. For workers, the practical result can vary by component, job, and funding stream.

This guide pairs naturally with federal employee back pay, which explains what usually happens after funding resumes.

Who Is Affected

  • Excepted federal employeesThey may keep working during the shutdown because their duties are allowed to continue. Immediate pay may be delayed until appropriations resume.
  • Furloughed federal employeesThey generally stop working and stop receiving regular pay during the lapse, aside from limited orderly shutdown activity.
  • Exempt or funded employeesEmployees whose work is financed by available funds may continue under normal pay and leave rules.
  • ContractorsContractor pay is not automatically handled the same way as federal employee pay. It depends on the employer and contract terms.
  • Military personnelMilitary pay depends on the affected department, the specific appropriation, and any separate funding or pay authority in place during the lapse.
  • Benefit recipientsPeople receiving benefits are not paid as employees. Many existing benefit payments continue under separate program rules.

What Continues / What May Stop

May be paid or later paid

  • Employees funded by available appropriations, fees, trust funds, or other non-lapsed funding.
  • Excepted employees who keep working, with pay timing depending on the lapse and reopening guidance.
  • Furloughed federal employees who are covered by retroactive-pay law and reopening instructions.
  • Military personnel if their pay is covered by available appropriations, specific legislation, or another lawful funding source.
  • Existing benefit recipients when the benefit program's payments continue.

May be unpaid or uncertain

  • Furloughed federal employees during the lapse itself.
  • Excepted employees if their regular payroll cannot be paid until appropriations resume.
  • Military pay if the relevant pay appropriation has lapsed and no separate authority covers immediate pay.
  • Contractor employees if work is stopped and the employer does not provide paid leave or other pay.
  • Workers at affected agencies whose payroll or support functions are delayed.

Official Sources

Do Federal Employees Get Back Pay After a Government Shutdown? What current law and agency guidance generally mean for federal workers after funding resumes. Does Social Security Continue During a Government Shutdown? Why payments generally continue, and which SSA services may be limited during a lapse. What Stays Open During a Government Shutdown? Which excepted, exempt, safety, security, benefit, and fee-funded functions usually continue. What Closes During a Government Shutdown? How agency shutdown plans decide which offices, services, and public facilities stop or scale back.

FAQ

Do excepted employees get paid during the shutdown?

They may be required to work, but immediate pay can be delayed until appropriations resume or another lawful funding source is available.

Are furloughed employees working?

Generally no. Furloughed employees are placed in temporary non-duty, non-pay status, except for limited orderly shutdown tasks.

Are contractors automatically paid back?

No. Contractor pay depends on the employer, contract, agency direction, and any separate legislation or contract adjustment.

Do benefit recipients count as paid workers?

No. Benefit payments follow program rules and are separate from employee payroll during a shutdown.