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Well looks like my paycheck stops friday...

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#21
Crispy,
Here are the basics. Not sure how it is in Canada, but the US fiscal year begins Oct 1. Our congress is *supposed* to have a budget figured out by then. If not, we go into what is called a Continuing Resolution Act (CRA) that, essentially, gives all government entities, including the Department of Defense, barely enough money to get by. And I do mean barely. These CRAs normally don't last longer than a month or two at the most, but this one has been getting extended and extended. It is set to run out on Apr 8, tomorrow, at midnight. If this happens, and the CRA isn't extended (yet again), this means that there is NO MONEY available to any federally funded government entity. I, for example, go on unpaid furlough, until the budget is passed. It sounds like the OP gets the same boot in the teeth. I feel you pain, brother.
Oh yeah, military isn't exempt from this at all. If the government shuts down, no one gets paid in the military. Folks who are active duty, say, everyone currently in a war zone, still have to report for duty. They just won't get paid until a budget gets passed, and there's no time limit on that.

Just another way Washington is screwing over the nation. This isn't partisan. It's a failure on both sides of the aisle to do what's right for the American People.
 
#22
fenderhutz said:
Ok, I HIGHLY doubt you will have to sell off your life's belongings for two weeks of delayed pay. In the past it has always been retroactively paid and you won't lose your house or car by making a late payment.

I work as a contractor for uncle sam, I will get paid regardless.

Even if Congress decides not to pay the two weeks (couple days whatever) of pay, if you are having to sell you prized possessions you need to see a budget counselor.

Sorry for the harsh input, but even if it does shut down it won't be for long and there is at LEAST a 50% chance you will retroactively paid.

Just pay some bills late, move on.

These doom and gloomers are getting too much TV time.
Click to expand...

I'm less concerned with the pay issue than I am with how this political kabuki theater is going to wreak havoc with my project schedules. If we're off work two weeks, for example, I just can't slide the entire schedules to the right two weeks, as there are certain milestones and deadlines within each project that are non-negotiable. Giant pain up my backside. :mad:
 
#24
Atoz said:
I'm less concerned with the pay issue than I am with how this political kabuki theater is going to wreak havoc with my project schedules. If we're off work two weeks, for example, I just can't slide the entire schedules to the right two weeks, as there are certain milestones and deadlines within each project that are non-negotiable. Giant pain up my backside. :mad:
Click to expand...

We are firm fixed in a support type role and work on things as needed, engineering security solutions etc. I would imagine that be would be a huge PITA.
 
#27
Dutchyman said:
Crispy,
Here are the basics. Not sure how it is in Canada, but the US fiscal year begins Oct 1. Our congress is *supposed* to have a budget figured out by then. If not, we go into what is called a Continuing Resolution Act (CRA) that, essentially, gives all government entities, including the Department of Defense, barely enough money to get by. And I do mean barely. These CRAs normally don't last longer than a month or two at the most, but this one has been getting extended and extended. It is set to run out on Apr 8, tomorrow, at midnight. If this happens, and the CRA isn't extended (yet again), this means that there is NO MONEY available to any federally funded government entity. I, for example, go on unpaid furlough, until the budget is passed. It sounds like the OP gets the same boot in the teeth. I feel you pain, brother.
Oh yeah, military isn't exempt from this at all. If the government shuts down, no one gets paid in the military. Folks who are active duty, say, everyone currently in a war zone, still have to report for duty. They just won't get paid until a budget gets passed, and there's no time limit on that.

Just another way Washington is screwing over the nation. This isn't partisan. It's a failure on both sides of the aisle to do what's right for the American People.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clearing that up. That's beyond unfortunate. Now, do the people affected get paid after the fact, or is the unpaid time just not accounted for afterwards? I mean I assume that after a month without pay, you would get reimbursed for whatever you were owed, right? So Americans have to bank savings once every year in anticipation of this?!? :eek:
 
#28
bobba66 said:
I've found saving a little money for hard times works pretty well. They always come, and it's better to be ready. My 25+year career is in ashes due to the economy and other factors. Found a couple crappy jobs to get through until things improve. Don't give up, the sun will rise tomorrow.
Click to expand...
yup.....sadly we seem to have traded in our futures for more stuff today....(as a society in general and not intended to slight the op)....a guy i know who led guys on the picket line used to tell me stories of hour wage people living like they were doctors and lawyers,and could not afford even a day off let alone strike to maintain the wages and benefits other guys had sacrificed so much to gain.....

my old man used to say that when you work by the hour that's precisely how long the job is good for......we should remember that next time we hear,"no money down,easy terms,no interest until".....yada yada yada
 
#29
fenderhutz said:
Ok, I HIGHLY doubt you will have to sell off your life's belongings for two weeks of delayed pay. In the past it has always been retroactively paid and you won't lose your house or car by making a late payment.

I work as a contractor for uncle sam, I will get paid regardless.

Even if Congress decides not to pay the two weeks (couple days whatever) of pay, if you are having to sell you prized possessions you need to see a budget counselor.

Sorry for the harsh input, but even if it does shut down it won't be for long and there is at LEAST a 50% chance you will retroactively paid.

Just pay some bills late, move on.

These doom and gloomers are getting too much TV time.
Click to expand...

Thank you for some rationality and sense. I'm semi-panicking because my mom works for the IRS and I'm worried she will default on her mortgage and lose her house. If the federal shutdowns of the past are a precedent, it only lasts a few days. The worst in recent memory was two weeks. I'm just biting my nails hoping it won't be longer than that this time around.
 
#30
CrispyDelicious said:
Thanks for clearing that up. That's beyond unfortunate. Now, do the people affected get paid after the fact, or is the unpaid time just not accounted for afterwards? I mean I assume that after a month without pay, you would get reimbursed for whatever you were owed, right? So Americans have to bank savings once every year in anticipation of this?!? :eek:
Click to expand...

Bank savings...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa
 
#31
To those wondering how it could even be possible... "essential" services like the military would still be in place, just without pay. Everyone who works in an office somewhere would simply be sent home. The post office is self-funding so mail would go through but anything you need the government to send you, like social security or tax refunds, would be delayed until the budget passed.
 
#32
As far as I understand it, anyone who is required to continue showing up to work, despite not getting paid at the time, will be paid retroactively when the money becomes available. Those of us who get spontaneous unpaid vacation, sadly, don't. That means any non-essential personell and any contractors who need to have DoD employee supervision while on premesis.
Good personal fiscal practice is to have anywhere from 3-6 months of financial obligations tucked away in a savings account, in case of personal emergency, such as a medical emergency, death in the family, and what-have-you (which I've slacked on, and need to get back into doing! I think I'm good for a few weeks, though). But the fact that the government is forcing those of us working for Uncle Sam to have to use that safety net is reprehensible.
I, and I'm sure the OP and others in this thread, have spent the last few months wondering if we're going to have to dip into our saving just to get by, due to the poor performance of our representatives in Congress.
 
#34
CrispyDelicious said:
Thanks for clearing that up. That's beyond unfortunate. Now, do the people affected get paid after the fact, or is the unpaid time just not accounted for afterwards? I mean I assume that after a month without pay, you would get reimbursed for whatever you were owed, right? So Americans have to bank savings once every year in anticipation of this?!? :eek:
Click to expand...

This is a pretty rare occurrence. The last shutdown happened about 15 years ago and lasted three weeks. That was the record.
 
#36
I'm sorry for you being caught in the impending situation. As one who has gone through tough times in the past, and am now facing some new trials and tribulations through no fault of my own, I can say that most likely, you will survive this. I've come through some things that I thought was the end of the world at the time I went through them, but I'm still here, and I'm glad to be doing so. Those experiences made me realize that I could survive tough times. I can't say they were pleasurable at all, but I grew because of them.

I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that when the proverbial crap hits the fan with the majority of citizens irrespective of which party they favor, start howling, all sides will kiss and make up. Some compromise will be found. This sort of nonsense has happened in the past, and the nation has come through it, and it'll be business as usual again.

I wish you well, and if you get heat from anyone you owe money to in the form of monthly bills, let them know what's going on, and you'll be making good on your obligations once the fine folks in Washington decide to quit bickering and get things rolling again. You ain't alone in this stupid mess.
 
#37
madmatt said:
Ok. Is this topic political or what? :hmm:
The reason I ask is because the other day I got my balls handed to me by a moderator for talking politics, I was even labeled a TROLL!!!!:eek:
The way I see it, if you are talking about our incompetent government, then you be talkin' politics.
?
Click to expand...

Very political from what I can tell. I will be staying out of this one, for what I will say will be banned for sure.

For the OP, I'm sorry to hear of your situation. I hope this get resolved asap for you and your family's sake. And for the sake of the honest tax payer.
 
#38
Pissing away money I worked hard for on STUPID stuff is much more serious than politics. And anyone who would argue that the list of 20 things I posted above are not stupid needs to try to get a synapse or two firing in the brain.
 
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