10 Things You Need to Know as a Furloughed Federal Employee

1. When the government shutdown ends, you will get paid for the time you were furloughed.
2. You cannot volunteer to work.
3. You cannot use annual leave or other paid time off as an alternative to being furloughed.
4. Your health insurance coverage will continue.
5. Payments into your federal retirement plan accounts cease when you enter nonpay status.
6. Your years of service toward your retirement will not be affected by a short-term government shutdown.
7. You should not use any government-provided information technology, including laptops and cell phones, except to check for updates on furlough or recall (return to work) status intermittently.
8. You may be entitled to unemployment compensation depending on your state’s unemployment compensation requirements.
9. You need to be cautious about taking on a second job.
10. You can take action to pressure Congress to end the shutdown.

More details on these items are available.