The longest government shutdown is now over. Here’s what’s next for federal workers in Philly and elsewhere.
The Office of Personnel Management said they are "committed to ensuring that retroactive pay is provided as soon as possible" to federal workers.
After 43 days, the longest government shutdown in history is finally over and federal workers will soon be returning to work and receiving their back pay.
President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday night to reopen the federal government after approval of a deal that originated in the Senate earlier this week. The bill, which received bipartisan support, funds the government through Jan. 30.
Federal workers nationwide were among those hardest hit by the shutdown as they went weeks without a paycheck and some struggled to make ends meet. In addition, workers also faced the threat of layoffs during the shutdown or having their back pay withheld. State and local governments, unions, and USAA offered resources for impacted workers.
It was the latest hurdle that government employees have had to clear under the Trump administration. Since January, the federal workforce nationwide, including in Philadelphia, has been subjected to layoffs, pushes to resign, and the ending of collective bargaining agreements.
Some of the shutdown-related issues appear to be resolved in the legislation, which guarantees back pay to furloughed and excepted employees, and it also requires agencies to reinstate employees that were fired during the past month.
The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employees union, has supported the bill to reopen the government. In a letter to House members Tuesday, Daniel Horowitz, AFGE’s legislative director, said, “Passing this bill will reopen the government and allow federal employees to return to the work of serving the American people. It will ensure safety and security for our vital transportation systems.”
As government employees shift to a post-shutdown workplace, the Office of Personnel Management published a memo on next steps. Here’s what it means for workers:
When will federal employees receive back pay?
The OPM memo affirmed that furloughed and excepted employees will be receiving retroactive pay — and their standard rate of compensation — dating to Oct. 1. Receiving back pay after a shutdown is required by law, despite the Trump administration calling this policy into question.
It’s unclear, however, when employees will receive that pay. The OPM memo said the agency is “committed to ensuring that retroactive pay is provided as soon as possible.”
Throughout the shutdown, TSA officers have continued to perform their jobs without pay, and should start receiving their back pay beginning late next week, according to a union official.
Employees at Philadelphia International Airport will receive one payment between Nov. 20 and 24 covering missed paychecks from the shutdown, said Joe Shuker, Region 7 vice president for AFGE Council 100, whose territory includes Pennsylvania. A corrected paycheck for the pay period that overlapped with the start of the shutdown is currently on hold due to restrictions on processing time, Shuker said.
When will government employees return to work?
Last month, tourists were disappointed to find that the Liberty Bell and other historic sites managed by the National Park Service were shuttered due to the lapse in government funding. But on Thursday, rangers were back at work.
Furloughed federal employees, like those in the Park Service, returned to work Thursday. The OPM memo said that any worker impacted by the shutdown can now “return to duty.”
For employees that cannot immediately return to work “agencies may consider the use of appropriate flexibilities,” the memo said.
What happens to federal workers laid off during the shutdown?
Thousands of federal employees were laid off in October during the shutdown, as promised by the Trump administration prior to the expiration of federal funding on Oct. 1. But the deal to end the shutdown requires employees who were laid off during this time (also known as a reduction-in-force) to be reinstated.
According to the OPM memo, any agencies that laid off workers between Oct. 1 and Nov. 12 must send out notices rescinding the reduction-in-force within five days. Agencies are asked to notify OPM of the rescissions and will provide further individualized guidance.
It’s unclear, after receiving the rescission notices, specifically when impacted employees will be reinstated.
Philadelphia’s federal workers and union leaders were deeply concerned about the prospect of layoffs ahead of the shutdown, with Everett Kelley, the AFGE national president, calling them “illegal” and “DOGE-like” (a reference to Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency).
AFGE also won an extension on Oct. 28 blocking layoff notices during the shutdown and any future ones that could arise during the lapse in funding.