Partial Government Shutdown In 2018 Explained: Who’s Affected, And How Will It Affect Your Holiday Plans?

Hundreds of thousands of Americans will be out of work due to a partial government shutdown, just in time for Christmas. President Donald Trump and Congress have unveiled their special Christmas present for thousands of government employees in California and all across the nation.

Following the news that the government was partially shut down Saturday at midnight after the House and Senate failed to pass a spending bill over President Trump’s demands to include $5 billion for his proposed Mexico-U.S. border wall project, our Los Angeles employment law attorney from The Rager Law Firm has been receiving hundreds of (and counting) calls and emails from concerned Americans, asking our lawyers if they would be affected by the government shutdown.

Will you be affected by the partial government shutdown in 2018?

The short answer to your question is: some of you will, while some of you won’t. For unemployed people and those employed in the private sector, the partial shutdown will most likely not meddle with your holiday plans. Government employees, on the other hand, are less lucky in that regard, as hundreds of thousands of those considered “essential” employees will be working during the holidays.

If you are one of those essential government employees, it looks like you will have to miss that holiday party at your spouse’s brother’s wife’s home after all (not that you were thrilled to attend it in the first place). So who will be directly affected by the partial shutdown in the heart of the holiday season?

How will the government shutdown affect your holiday plans?

For those of you worried that you will not be able to pick up your Christmas gift and holiday cards from the post office, rejoice. Our experienced employment law attorney in Los Angeles says that the post office will stay open during the holidays. If you are planning to use public transportation or resort to air travel to get to your family gathering in another state, you should be glad to hear that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents will still work during the holidays despite the partial government shutdown.

Those of you thinking that you can take advantage of the partial government shutdown and climb the border wall or cross the border illegally because Customs and Border Patrol agents will be affected by the shutdown, you may want to stop packing your things in the backpack and stay put. Secret Service agents, Customs and Border Patrol agents and U.S. troops deployed at the border are considered “essential” federal employees, which means they will be working during the holidays despite the partial government shutdown at the end of 2018.

However, those essential employees who will be working during the shutdown will not be paid for the hours or days working during the shutdown until after it ends.

420,000 federal employees will be working during the shutdown

An estimated more than 420,000 government workers will continue working during the holidays despite the government shutdown. We asked our Los Angeles employment law attorney to explain which federal agencies will be affected by the partial government shutdown that began on December 22, 2018:

• More than 41,000 federal law enforcement and correctional officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and others.
• 53,000 employees from the Transportation Security Administration.
• 42,000 Coast Guard employees.
• 54,000 employees from Customs and Border Protection.
• 5,000 Forest Service firefighters
• 3,600 National Weather Service forecasters.

380,000 federal employees furloughed during the government shutdown

Another 380,000 federal employees will be placed on temporary leave without receiving pay during the partial government shutdown. Furloughs will affect:

• 41,000 employees from the Commerce Department.
• 17,000 NASA employees.
• 44,000 workers from the Forest and National Park Services.
• 52,000 employees from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
• 7,000 employees from Housing and Urban Development.
• 18,000 Transportation Department employees.

Also, the following nine federal governments will be closed during the government shutdown in 2018:

1. Department of the Treasury
2. Department of Agriculture
3. Homeland Security Department
4. Department of the Interior
5. Department of State
6. Department of Housing and Urban Development
7. Department of Transportation
8. Department of Commerce
9. Department of Justice

If you still have questions about whether or not the partial government shutdown will affect you or your holiday plans in 2018, schedule a free consultation with our employment law attorney Los Angeles from The Rager Law Firm. Call at 310-527-6994 today.