QUESTIONS RAISED OVER DEFENSE EMPLOYEE FURLOUGHS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Furlough Raises Questions on Civilian Leave, Pay

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2013 - Only those Defense Department civilians recalled from furlough under the Pay Our Military Act may take annual and sick leave, a Pentagon spokesman said here today.

"Employees who remain on furlough are in a nonpay, nonduty status, so there is no leave to take," Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen explained.

So a civilian employee who had leave planned and is now furloughed can still take that vacation. It will not count as leave as long as the furlough lasts.

Once the president signs an appropriation or Congress passes a continuing resolution, furloughed employees will report back to work. Further legislation is necessary for employees to receive retroactive pay for days lost to the shutdown. If that happens, employees will be paid for the furlough time, and will not be charged for any leave that had been approved for days that became furlough days.

On DOD civilian pay, the situation is a bit different. The next civilian pay date is Oct. 11, and under the Pay Our Military Act, Defense Department civilians will receive paychecks. Excepted employees – those who continued to work – will receive the full 80 hours of pay. Those furloughed will receive 48 hours of pay for the pay period covered by that payday, up and to and including Sept. 30. Furloughed employees will receive pay for the four hours they worked Oct. 1 to implement the orderly shutdown once there a new appropriation or continuing resolution is in effect.

DOD civilian employees called back to work Oct. 7 will receive their paychecks for the current pay period Oct. 25.

FURLOUGHS AND DEFENSE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Defense Department Will Muscle Through Furlough Period

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2013 - As DOD enters the furlough period, the department will concentrate on the core mission of defending the United States and its interests, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.


"That's where our center of gravity is during this furlough period," Little said.

Because of sequestration, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made the difficult decision to furlough about 85 percent of DOD civilian employees one day a week through the end of the fiscal year, a total of 11 days, the press secretary said. "My assumption is the vast majority of that population is on furlough at least one day this week," Little said.

Little estimated the action will save the department $1.8 billion by the end of September.

Some missions in the department will be impacted, he said. "We're very clear with our own staff that there will be some impact, and we expect other offices to have similar impacts," the press secretary said.

What happens in fiscal 2014 remains up in the air, Little said in response to a reporter's question about the possibility of future layoffs. "We're getting ahead of ourselves talking about layoffs at this stage," he said. "Right now we're in the furlough period and no decisions have been reached about what may happen going forward."

Much of what will happen depends on the government's ability to move beyond sequestration, Little said. "[Hagel] has been clear that he would like for there to be a deal on sequestration, so we can lift this burden off of all our employees in the department," Little said.

Sequestration "was an unfortunate mechanism designed to avoid unfortunate consequences. We're seeing some of those consequences already in regards to military training and readiness," the press secretary said.

"It's unfortunate we're in this period but we're going to muscle through it best we can," he added.