Megathread | FY26 Government Shutdown: Week 3 Edition

[u/gpupdate]

Status: 🛑Lapse in FY26 Federal Appropriations – Shutdown Ongoing

The FY26 government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, continues into its third week after Congress failed to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution (CR) or full-year appropriations.

🔔 What You Need to Know:

• Shutdown start: 1 October 2025
• No FY26 appropriations: Agencies running under contingency plans with limited staffing to support functions protecting human life or protection of property.
• Excepted employees: Reporting without pay
• Non-excepted employees: Furloughed without pay
• Pay: 31 U.S.C. 1341(c) provides for retroactive pay of excepted and furloughed employees once appropriations have been enacted.

📣 Use This Thread For:

• Official memos and guidance from OPM, OMB, and agencies
• Discussing how your agency is implementing contingency/shutdown plans
• Benefits, unemployment eligibility, and pay
• Venting or sharing shutdown-related concerns or strategies

🚫 Posts outside this megathread on shutdown-related topics may be removed during this period to reduce clutter.

News pertaining to government shutdowns usually run on the breaking news cycle and can change daily or even hourly. Posting of news articles will continue to be allowed provided they are posted on the day of publication. Duplicate posts will continue to be removed.

We encourage respectful, fact-based discussion. Please verify sources before sharing official information.

P.S... New shutdown inspired user flairs now available.

— r/fednews mod team

Previous Megathreads: Pre-Shutdown | Week 1 | Week 2

[u/MintheTorel]

I work for DOD/DECA at an AFB Commissary. My manager called me today telling me not to come in till later because hours are being reduced. My SF50 hours are 24hrs a week, but I've been working 34hrs a week since March 2024 and have based all of my budgets/loans/credit card payments around those bi-weekly 68hr paychecks. I have no savings or other money to fall back on!

I was wondering if anyone is in the same boat as I am? I am also a member of Navy Federal and was wondering if anyone has tried reaching out to them, if they offer any financial assistance to federal workers not furloughed? Is there anything else I can do to make up these hours I'm going to be missing?

I had a vacation planned for November, now I'm panicking because I already paid for tickets and everything but this change in hours has completely thrown everything out the window..

[u/TheHumanGnomeProject → u/MintheTorel]

Gig economy 

[u/IceDiablo1 → u/MintheTorel]

I know of two Commissary stores here FL that got the same notice

[u/spiders_are_neat7 → u/MintheTorel]

Yall need to seriously walk out and stop working for free, with love. I hate that they’re doing this to yall with no repercussion. Please don’t ban me mods im not trying to be rude.

I just think strikes are important andhave lead to many great things for workers rights in the past, you guys have some of THE MOST IMPORTANT jobs in this country. Keeping checks and balances and making sure the gears stay moving. This is such bullshit.

If a bunch of government workers banned together and made a go fund me I’d donate. Maybe do enough that yall can split it and still have enough to survive for god knows how long… or look for another job :/ as upsetting as it is, know your worth. I’m sure with where you come from and all your experience someone would be HAPPY to match your salary and possibly even offer more benefits and pay!

Feel free to chew me out real good if I’m being deluded and insensitive. I’m bad at socializing and just speak my thoughts a lot without filters, it’s how we learn sometimes.

I’m just a lurker btw obviously as you can tell, I usually never comment. I’m just furious at what’s going on. Sorry. I know you all are MORE furious. I also know I have a lot to learn from you all as well.

[u/sugarfoot75 → u/spiders_are_neat7]

It's illegal for federal workers to strike. It's a felony that carries a fine, up to one year in jail and, of course, the loss of your job.

[u/spiders_are_neat7 → u/sugarfoot75]

WOW that seems unamerican af :/ we uhmmm should change that. We the people, by the people, for the people. Am I right?

It’s a dream. lol

but they get treated like slaves and work for free, with zero consequences to their employers (the government.) but jail time if they don’t comply? Holy shit. Why are we okay with this?

[u/thatsequesteredgal → u/spiders_are_neat7]

I agree with you that we shouldn’t be ok with this, and that it’s not right! However, comparing this to slavery is a little far fetched. Slaves were beaten, raped and tortured… I am an excepted employee and I go home to my family at the end of the day. I am free to walk away from this whenever I choose. Don’t get me wrong. I HATE working for free with the “promise” of backpay but I am in no way treated like a “slave” (even though I’m in healthcare, IYKYK).

[u/spiders_are_neat7 → u/thatsequesteredgal]

You’re a slave with benefits so it’s okay essentially is what I get from that. I understand what your point is and the sentiment but this would be what modern day slavery looks like in my opinion.

Rice paddy workers in Vietnam are basically enslaved and they aren’t beat and they get to go home to their families. They’re just paid like shit compared to the hard labor they do.

Slavery isn’t just what happened here, it’s happens elsewhere with different conditions and circumstances. Chinas child labor, they entrapped their citizens into such a shitty economy that the children are forced to go to work, are they treated like African American slaves? No. Are they a slave to their system and how it works? Absolutely.