Congress Jan. 11 advanced legislation that would provide back pay when the government shutdown ends for federal workers currently on furlough or on the job without pay.
This bill requires employees of the federal government who are furloughed or required to work during a lapse in appropriations beginning on or after December 22, 2018, to be compensated for the period of the lapse.
The House voted 411-7 to pass S. 24, which provides retroactive pay for the affected workers. The Senate passed the bill on a Jan. 10 voice vote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KU) has said President Donald Trump will sign the bill.
The partial government shutdown, which started Dec. 22, stems from a standoff over funding for Trump’s proposed border wall. About 800,000 federal workers have been affected. That includes the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is tasked with enforcing workplace anti-discrimination laws. About 2,078 staff and contract personnel of the EEOC have been told to halt work during the shutdown, while 103 essential EEOC workers are still on the job, officials have told Bloomberg Law.
Passage of the retroactive pay measures comes amid a week of federal worker protests and several congressional Democrats and Republicans using floor speeches to lament the deadlock.
Labor-related agencies like the Labor Department and the National Labor Relations Board are funded through fiscal year 2019 through already approved measures.
