When Congress failed to pass a bill last December that would reauthorize federal funding through March, the possibility of a government shutdown became real. The Washington Post reported then that a deal tentatively struck by Democrats and Republicans to avoid a shutdown was on “shaky ground.

In the case of a government shutdown, those workers are put on leave because there isn't money budgeted for their job. The good news is that furloughed employees who are not allowed to work or who do not receive paychecks are still guaranteed back pay due to legislation passed in January 2019.