EPA has updated guidance for its employees during the federal government shutdown, which now falls silent on rules regarding retroactive pay and rallies.
The agency’s shutdown webpage now links to a frequently asked questions document that advises employees on how to conduct themselves during a lapse in appropriations. The guidance, which indicates it was created Friday, is shorter than prior versions and no longer cites a 2019 law signed by President Donald Trump that ensures federal employees will be paid once a shutdown is over.
The Trump administration now says that furloughed staff are not guaranteed back pay, which has angered Democratic lawmakers and federal unions who say the law is on their side. EPA previously told staff they would receive back pay once a shutdown ends.
“Am I guaranteed pay once the government reopens?” said the older guidance, which shows it was last modified Nov. 8, 2024.
