Workforce
RIF threat sparks union lawsuit as shutdown continues
AFGE and AFSCME argued that an Office of Management and Budget memo instructing agencies to launch mass layoffs during the government shutdown violate the Antideficiency Act and most agencies’ own authorizing statutes.
Management
Shutdown freezes earlier job-cut battles as Trump signals fresh layoffs
Employees involved in litigation are caught up in furloughs, though group says Trump is seeking to delay accountability.
Workforce
White House: Shutdown layoffs are just days away
So far, just one agency has pursued RIFs while others have largely followed normal shutdown procedures.
Pay & Benefits
Maryland Dems float unemployment insurance for federal workers during shutdown
Congressional Democrats aim to provide benefits to federal employees forced to work during the shutdown, and other pay and benefits news you may have missed this week.
Management
Government spirals into shutdown with Trump promising mass layoffs
A last-ditch effort to keep government funded failed Tuesday night. Agencies will begin furloughing staff on Wednesday.
Workforce
Just 23% of fed workers would be furloughed if the government shuts down, under the Trump administration’s plan
Several agencies plan to keep more employees working than usual, leading to fewer workers being sent home.
Workforce
Despite layoff threat, some feds see government shutdown as an opportunity to push back on Trump’s ‘lawlessness’
Federal employees and members of Congress who spoke at Monday’s press conference pointed out that agency reductions in force can proceed regardless of whether there’s a government shutdown.
Management
Sides remain divided, White House predicts shutdown will occur on eve of funding lapse
Democratic leaders say “large differences” remain after meeting with President Trump.
Management
Reductions in force could make bad situation worse for federal contractors during government shutdown
Some federal contractors have already reported problems connecting with their contracting officers.
Workforce
Layoff implementation work is exempted from shutdown, Trump admin says
Shutdown layoffs could be undone when funding is restored, according to new guidance.
Management
The ultra risks of a routine shutdown
COMMENTARY | If Democrats risk a government shutdown this week, they may unwittingly play into the most dramatic shift of power to the executive branch in recent history.
Workforce
So far, many agency leaders are telling staff not to take shutdown layoff threat seriously
In at least one case, however, leadership has stressed that RIFs are a real possibility: “They want people to feel the impact of the shutdown."
Management
Even a brief government shutdown might hamper morale, raise costs and reduce long-term efficiency in the federal workforce
With the political parties currently wide apart over the terms of even a short-term budget resolution, the government is set to shut down on Oct. 1, 2025, barring an 11th-hour deal that appears far off.
Management
The real cost of a shutdown: Disrupting the U.S. workforce, innovation and national security
COMMENTARY | A government shutdown hurts government operations, industry and the U.S. economy.
Management
Agencies should prep for mass layoffs if shutdown occurs, White House says
OMB is requesting updated reduction-in-force plans even if a shutdown is averted.
Management
Facing a shutdown, budget negotiations are much harder because Congress has given Trump power to cut spending through ‘rescission’
Lawmakers are navigating a familiar budget crisis, but a rarely used presidential tool is shifting the balance of power and raising stakes for both parties.
Pay & Benefits
Your guide to pay and benefits during a shutdown
A lapse in appropriations looked likely after Senate Democrats rejected a plan to keep federal agencies open past Sept. 30, while the House is not expected to return to Washington until next month.
Workforce
As shutdown looms, federal agencies have no public plans for one
How the Trump administration would handle a shutdown and who it plans to furlough remains a mystery.
Updated
Management
Chance of a government shutdown rises as the Senate fails to advance spending bill
With both parties rejecting each other’s short-term funding proposals, Congress is heading into a weeklong recess with no deal in place and a government shutdown looking increasingly likely.
Management