Almost all US federal workers are to receive the pay that was withheld from them due to the government shutdown by Friday 1 February, White House officials have said.
The government was partially closed from 22 December 2018 until 25 January 2019, the longest period in US history. This meant that workers who were not paid as a result of being furloughed missed two salary payments, according to Scripps National.
As for federal contractors, because many of them are employed by private sector companies, they are not expected to receive any back pay at all for the 35-day shutdown. New York University public service professor Paul Light said the situation could affect as many as 580,000 individuals, including café staff, security guards and IT workers.
As a result, a Bill titled the ‘Fair Compensation for Low-Wage Contractor Employees Act’, has now been introduced into the Senate to require federal agencies to work directly with employers that contract to them to provide back pay for workers caught up in the political situation. If the Bill is passed, agencies could provide workers with up to US$965 per week, Vox reported.
The legislation would also create a special account to hold the necessary funds, which would be an expansion of an existing mechanism for reimbursing contractors for shutdown costs. No Republicans have signed up to the Bill as yet though.
By Cath Everett, GPA.Live's content editor
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Almost all US federal workers are to receive the pay that was withheld from them due to the government shutdown by Friday 1 February, White House officials have said.
The government was partially closed from 22 December 2018 until 25 January 2019, the longest period in US history. This meant that workers who were not paid as a result of being furloughed missed two salary payments, according to Scripps National.
As for federal contractors, because many of them are employed by private sector companies, they are not expected to receive any back pay at all for the 35-day shutdown. New York University public service professor Paul Light said the situation could affect as many as 580,000 individuals, including café staff, security guards and IT workers.
As a result, a Bill titled the ‘Fair Compensation for Low-Wage Contractor Employees Act’, has now been introduced into the Senate to require federal agencies to work directly with employers that contract to them to provide back pay for workers caught up in the political situation. If the Bill is passed, agencies could provide workers with up to US$965 per week, Vox reported.
The legislation would also create a special account to hold the necessary funds, which would be an expansion of an existing mechanism for reimbursing contractors for shutdown costs. No Republicans have signed up to the Bill as yet though.
By Cath Everett, GPA.Live's content editor
OTHER STORIES THAT MAY INTEREST YOU
Trump halts automatic pay rises for US federal employees
US govt workers sue President Trump over anti-union executive order
US Congresswoman proposes controversial 70% income tax on high earners
