The subcontractor that sits in front of me at work just got the bad news that he's getting furloughed at the end of the week. He won't be back.

Another subcontractor that works with my department had his hours reduced to 20/wk

They furloughed most of our HR people

I have a friend with the patent office that's been furloughed for a week

Another friend with the state department that's been furloughed for two weeks now

My company has already told us we can't work any overtime.

Shit sucks, B.

[Edited on January 17, 2019 at 1:09 PM. Reason : D]

1/17/2019 1:08:58 PM

i'm told all of those people are actually on strike because they want a wall on the mexican border

1/17/2019 1:31:59 PM

Want immigration reform? Get the illegal immigrants to go on strike. That'll stop the economy in a hurry and shitheads will beg for illegals.

1/17/2019 1:43:47 PM

better than being Furlonged



[Edited on January 17, 2019 at 1:44 PM. Reason : ]

1/17/2019 1:44:11 PM

This is a safe space, guys. Let's hug it out.

1/17/2019 1:52:50 PM

contractors are getting hosed

1/17/2019 2:28:39 PM

who would've thought working for a company with $21T debt could have it's problems

1/17/2019 2:46:32 PM

Trucking is pretty crazy right now. Things are slow for me because people on food stamps can't buy perishables. Fuckin wack man.

1/17/2019 2:51:34 PM

Why didn't these people plan on 6 months of savings?

1/17/2019 3:31:04 PM

BECAUSE THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH

1/17/2019 4:00:23 PM

I thought this thread was exactly 1/8 th of a mile

1/17/2019 6:38:44 PM

Quote :

"I have a friend with the patent office that's been furloughed for a week"

what do they do there? because PTO has been open through all of it so far

1/17/2019 7:16:56 PM

I've been furloughed since the beginning. My agency didn't have any holdover funds or fee support or any of that.

Didn't feel it at all the first week, since I'd taken most of it off for Christmas anyway. The second week, it was kinda cool. Then my life left the country for a 6 week assignment in Nigeria, so it's just been me and the dog. The results have been predictable: lots of boredom, temporarily ameliorated by video games and drinking. People have suggested, "Why don't you go volunteer?" but every place I've looked at either requires long-term commitments or is already full of other furloughed people.

With no end in sight I've decided to pack up and head home to NC for a few days to see family and friends back there.

Quote :

"Why didn't these people plan on 6 months of savings?"

I'm fortunate, and did just that. So I complain, but at least I don't have any crippling financial problems coming out of this. But it really sucks for the contractors who won't get anything back, and the people with kids, big expenses, or a job at the low end of the GS scale who have no choice but to live paycheck to paycheck. It's especially hard in DC, which is so unreasonably goddamn expensive.

1/17/2019 11:01:19 PM

Quote :

"LIFE LEFT COUNTRY"

1/17/2019 11:27:18 PM

Quote :

"what do they do there? because PTO has been open through all of it so far"

I'm not sure exactly. But maybe they don't have PTO available?

1/18/2019 6:52:21 AM

The last furlough (Oct 2013) was my own personal last straw working for the federal government. I quit in December 2013 and took a job in the private sector every since.

I wonder if this extremely political and longest-ever furlough will have a similar effect on people who are still young enough to look elsewhere for employment.

1/18/2019 8:06:25 AM

Maybe this is all a republican ploy to shrink government?

1. Shut it down and destroy people's livelihoods to the point they abandon working for the government ever again.
2. Other people hear the horror stories and don't want to take the risk of working for the government either
3. $profit

1/18/2019 9:00:45 AM

Obviously, this is a step in the #MAGA roadmap... embrace it!

1/18/2019 9:12:54 AM

^^^^^Dumb typo, which shames me greatly, but I'm not sure it works as a three word joke box.

^^^It'll probably have that effect on some, but I'm guessing not many. Certainly it won't impact me. My Dad narrowly survived 38 years at a company that routinely axed tons of employees and slashed benefits for everyone who remained. Occasional funding lapses are better than mass layoffs any day of the week. At least you can see them coming.

^^I don't buy that, but I do notice that Fox News and the like have been using this experience to claim that we're not needed. "If they aren't essential, why do we pay them at all?" And, "During this 'crisis,' I look around and see people going about their lives without interruption."

1/18/2019 9:35:27 AM

i would still love to get a government gig, but for some stupid reason many depts still require their IT poeple to be local.

1/18/2019 9:38:26 AM

I wonder if in the next election voters will take it a little more seriously.

We have 325 million people in the country and we got Donald Fucking Trump for president......

1/18/2019 10:16:44 AM

Quote :

"I wonder if in the next election voters Democrats will take it a little more seriously."

The answer is no

1/18/2019 12:55:28 PM

Quote :

"I'm not sure exactly. But maybe they don't have PTO available?"

in this instance, PTO meant patent & trademark office, not paid time off, if that's what you thought I meant

1/18/2019 4:28:25 PM

1/18/2019 6:13:54 PM

in news unrelated to the government, we had to perform significant layoffs today

1/18/2019 6:46:53 PM