As the government shutdown continues, federal workers—particularly those in low-wage, hourly roles—are unlikely to be made whole after furloughs, warns Nichole Atallah, Chair of PilieroMazza’s Labor & Employment Group. “If you’re a cafeteria worker or a janitor, you can’t make up that time. It’s lost,” Atallah told CNN in a phone interview.
Although employers can decide to pay contract workers despite the shutdown, experts say that’s rare when it comes to hourly workers in blue-collar jobs.
Atallah said contract employers will sometimes work to compensate workers in highly skilled positions who are hurt by the shutdown.
Atallah urged impacted contract workers who get furloughed to immediately apply because some unemployment systems in the DC area are already strained by federal layoffs.
“They should apply for unemployment as soon as possible so they’re first in line if the shutdown lasts,” Atallah said.
Excerpts taken from the article “‘I Don’t Know How I’m Going to Feed My Kids’: Shutdown Hits Federal Contractors Hard” by Matt Egan for CNN. Visit this link to view the full article.
About Nichole Atallah
Nichole counsels employers and their compliance professionals on a broad range of labor and employment, government contracting, and corporate governance matters. She serves as Chair of PilieroMazza’s Labor & Employment Group, one of the few legal practices in the U.S. with a multi-jurisdictional labor and employment practice dedicated to advising government contractors on their compliance obligations. Nichole’s primary goal in representing employers is to help guide them through difficult situations, proactively address compliance, and avoid costly disputes. Read more here.
