No Back Pay for Furloughed Workers?

[Seawytch]

That could be the case with the inmates running the asylum.

Republicans Split On Whether To Give Back Pay To Workers Furloughed In Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON -- If and when the federal government reopens for business, congressional lawmakers will have to decide whether or not to retroactively pay federal workers for the time they were out of work. So far, Republicans appear split on the question of back pay for furloughed civil servants -- even though members of Congress are guaranteed to get paid regardless.[...]

"I think it's way too early to even consider that, but again we're $7 trillion more in the hole now than we were [in 1995-1996]," said Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). "It makes it that much more difficult."

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) also raised the issue of the national debt, signaling what might prevent many Republicans from getting on board.

"I think there would be less chance of that now considering the great big budget deficit we have now," Grassley said. "We're in a much worse situation."

So how would he vote if a measure were brought to floor to back pay federal employees?

"I would not make a judgment at this point," Grassley responded.

Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) also said it was too early for them to make a determination, while Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said he "probably" would support the move.​

Can't have Grassley without ass...

 

[Steven_R]

What's the problem? If the employees aren't at work because their bosses said stay home, then they don't get paid. It happens all the time in the private sector.

 

[Edgetho]

It will be a negotiating point between the two Houses of Congress.

I say.... Don't pay them. If they don't like it, quit.

Federal workers earning double their private counterparts - USATODAY.com

Yeah..... Right

 

[DiamondDave]

We all know that they will back pay, just as they did in the 90's... and that this is a disguised paid vacation for a majority of them (well, minus the military and law enforcement)

 

[Steven_R]

It will be a negotiating point between the two Houses of Congress.

I say.... Don't pay them. If they don't like it, quit.

Federal workers earning double their private counterparts - USATODAY.com

Yeah..... Right

No, no, no. Getting a government job is like winning the lottery. Awesome bennies, guaranteed pay and pension, big paychecks, and best of all unplanned paid vacations.

It's a gravy train with biscuit wheels.

Now, why are my taxes so high...

 

[Claudette]

Hope they don't get that back pay.

Who the hell pays someone to sit on their ass at home?

Of course they can all use their own vacation pay. Thats how its done where I work.

 

[Katzndogz]

They can do what obama told the unemployed oil workers in the gulf to do after the platform fire. Get unemployment.

obama stopped all drilling in the gulf. No one complained about those people being out of work. They were told to get unemployment. They didn't get back pay.

 

[Seawytch]

Obviously many of you aren't aware that thousands of people are still working without being paid.

 

[Stephanie]

Aren't they just special

The government shuts it down then turns around pays the workers they caused to be out of work...

what a sweet life huh?

you peons outside of government don't get that benefit, do you feel used and abused by your government?

 

[Desperado]

Obviously many of you aren't aware that thousands of people are still working without being paid.

Link? I would like to see some proof on that. If they were deemed essential and are still working Im sure they are getting their paycheck. If they were told to stay home, then they should not get a dime for sitting on their butts

 

[CrusaderFrank]

OMFG Stop paying Congress and the WH

 

[Annie]

Obviously many of you aren't aware that thousands of people are still working without being paid.

But they will be paid and should be. Not so the 'non-essentials.'

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Millions have been laid off and are out of a job without pay under O. Now the compassion?

 

[Warrior102]

Jesus
You work you get paid
Simple concept
Yet these government slugs want to sit at home all day, play Nintendo and surf porn? And expect back pay?
At taxpayers expense?
Let them eat shit

 

[Duped]

No work; no pay - paying someone to not work is called welfare. We need to shrink government; not incentivise it's growth! Giving away hard earned taxes to public " servants " only serves them, and injures the poductive citizenry

 

[daveman]

I'm a government worker...and I wouldn't want pay I didn't earn.

At my project, we had FY13 funds leftover...so we're using that to pay everyone who would have been furloughed. There are some "essential" personnel in jobs that can't shut down -- navigation lock operations, power plant, a couple of admin posts, a couple of rangers -- who are getting paid from FY14 funds. Well, if there were any FY14 funds.

We've got another paycheck and a half to catch up with 1 Oct; those funds have already been obligated, so they're guaranteed. After that, it's what's left in the project's budget for most of us. The essential folks won't get paid until the government starts up again.

And as I've said before, I get paid quite a bit less than a civilian doing the same job. Not all government workers are a waste of money, folks.

In the two years I've been in this job, I've saved the government about $20K by doing in-house what they used to have to contract out.