Wisconsin National Guard Human Resources Office Government Shutdown Furlough
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for T32 Technicians and T5 Employees
Current as of 29 September 2025
References:
- Shutdown Furlough Frequently Asked Questions, Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service, December 2024
- Guidance for Shutdown Furloughs, United States Office of Personnel Management, January 2024
**Please check this FAQ frequently, as updates may be made and are subject to guidance published by the Department of War, National Guard Bureau, and the Office of Personnel Management throughout a shutdown.**
1. What is a shutdown furlough?
A: A shutdown furlough is the placing of an employee in a temporary non-duty, non-pay status because there is a lapse in appropriations.
2. What is an “excepted” employee?
A: In the context of shutdown furloughs, the term “excepted” is used broadly to refer to employees whose work is funded through annual appropriations but who are not furloughed because they are performing tasks that, by law, are allowed to continue during a lapse in appropriations. Those tasks are referred to as “excepted work.” Such tasks may include emergency work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property or the performance of certain other types of “excepted work activities.”
3. What procedures should be followed for orderly shutdown?
A: Furloughed employees will report to work on their next scheduled workday following the lapse in appropriations to carry out orderly shutdown activities. These shutdown activities may include receiving and acknowledging furlough notices, completing any required time and attendance, setting email/voicemail out-of-office notifications, securing files, and other activities necessary to preserve the employee’s work. Supervisors must ensure shutdown activities are completed in the most expeditious manner possible; generally, such activities should not exceed four hours but may take as long as necessary to complete all required actions. Supervisors may permit employees who are scheduled to telework on their next scheduled workday to perform necessary shutdown activities from their telework location, if an existing telework agreement is in place, and only if it is compliant with current agency policy (WING Policy).
4. Should employees come in to work to receive their furlough notice if that day is a scheduled non-workday?
A: Employees should not report to duty on a non-workday to receive a furlough notice. This includes employees on alternative work schedule whose regular day off falls on the first day of a furlough. Instead, they should receive a furlough notice on their next regularly scheduled workday.
5. How is an employee notified of the end of the furlough?
A: Employees should listen to public broadcasts and monitor the OPM website (www.opm.gov) to keep abreast of the latest news regarding the budgetary status of the United States Government. Supervisors should contact their employees to notify them that the furlough has ended. If notification occurs during off-duty hours, employees are expected to resume work on the next scheduled duty day. Employees should contact their supervisor and let them know their status.
6. What is the effect of a furlough on employees’ pay?
A: All federal employees, including members of the armed services, will NOT receive pay until Congress and the President pass a funding bill authorizing appropriations. Once a funding bill passes, the government will process retroactive pay for ALL employees, regardless of whether they were in a furlough or an excepted status.
7. If an employee who received furlough notice had previously scheduled annual or sick leave on a furlough day, what happens to the scheduled leave?
A: All scheduled leave during the furlough period will be canceled (annual leave, sick leave, or other). Do not cancel leave until directed to by HRO.
8. Does the fact that leave is cancelled mean that an employee scheduled to be on annual or sick leave cannot be absent and must report to work?
A: No. It means that absences during the furlough are not charged to leave. Instead, an employee who is absent will be furloughed.
9. If an employee is on approved leave without pay (LWOP), but affected by the furlough, would the employee be furloughed and LWOP terminated?
A: No. The status of employees in LWOP is not disturbed unless there is indication that the employee may return from the LWOP during the furlough.
10. May an excepted employee be permitted to earn compensatory time off and credit hours (under flexible work schedules) during the shutdown period?
A: Yes. With agency approval, excepted employees may earn compensatory time off and/or credit hours subject to requirements found in 5 U.S.C. 5543 and 6120–6133; 5 CFR 550.114, 551.531, and part 610, subpart D; or other applicable authority. Each agency is responsible for approving the number of hours an excepted employee can work related to the performance of excepted activities. Employees will not be permitted to use earned compensatory time off or credit hours during the shutdown period.
11. If an employee is on leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) during the furlough, do furlough days count towards the 12-week entitlement to FMLA leave?
A: No. Days associated with a furlough will not count against an employee’s 12-week FMLA leave entitlement.
12. What effect will a furlough have on the calculation of an employee’s creditable service?
A: Time spent in a non-pay status (including furlough) is credited as follows:
- Career tenure: The first 30 calendar days of each non-pay period is creditable service. (5C.F.R. § 315.201(b)(3)(ii)(A))
- Probationary period: An aggregate of 22 workdays in a non-pay status is creditable service. (5 C.F.R. § 315.802(c))
- Qualification standards: There is no requirement to extend qualifying periods by the amount of non-pay status. However, agencies may require such extensions in order to meet training requirements or ability to perform.
- Time-in-Grade: Non-pay status is creditable service. (5 C.F.R. § 300.605(a))
- Service computation date for leave purposes: Up to six months in non-pay status is creditable. (5 U.S.C. § 6303(a)) See: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/leave-administration/fact-sheets/effect-of-extended-leave-without-pay-lwop-or-other-nonpay-status-on-federal-benefits-and-programs/
- Service creditable for within-grade-increases: The time in a non-pay status that is creditable is determined by the employee’s current step (See 5 C.F.R. § 531.406(b) for General Schedule employees & 532.417(c)(2) for Federal Wage Schedule employees)
13. What effect does a furlough have on time limited appointments or promotions?
A: Furloughs do not extend the not-to-exceed date of time limited appointments or temporary promotions. Agencies have the option to separate temporary employees rather than include them in the furlough.
14. If an employee performs National Guard or Reserve duty while furloughed, and receives retroactive pay for the furlough period, is it a dual compensation situation?
A: If the employee was scheduled to be on “Absent-US” status, no retroactive pay would be authorized, and therefore it would not be a dual compensation situation. If the employee was scheduled to use military leave or other civilian paid time off and is authorized retroactive pay for the furlough period, there would be dual compensation, but it would be permissible.
15. How may an employee be recalled during the furlough to perform excepted activities?
A: There is no legal requirement to provide written notification amending the original notice of decision to furlough. Therefore, once a determination is made by the appropriate official that an employee should be recalled for all, or a portion of the remaining furlough period, the supervisor/manager can inform the employee by any reasonable method (e.g., telephonic or personal email). Every effort will be made to provide a furloughed employee at least 12-hour notice that he/she is being recalled.
If it is later determined that a recalled employee’s services are no longer necessary to engage in an excepted function, the supervisor/manager can inform the employee by any reasonable method (e.g., telephonic, oral, or personal email) and is not required to issue a new notice of decision to furlough, provided such determination is made during the time period indicated in the original notice of decision to furlough. Supervisors/managers should document changes in status from non-excepted to excepted, or vice versa in order to provide source documentation to effect any resulting pay and/or personnel actions. Such documentation may be by: memorandum for record, e-mail communications, spreadsheet, or similar means. HRO will provide submission guidance for our workforce.
16. Are employees who are injured while on furlough or LWOP eligible to receive workers’ compensation?
A: No. Workers’ compensation is paid to employees only if they are injured while performing their duties. Employees on furlough or LWOP are not in a duty status for this purpose. An employee who is receiving workers’ compensation payments will continue to receive workers’ compensation payments during a furlough and will continue to be charged LWOP.
17. If there are several employees that can perform necessary excepted work but not all of them are required each day, can the supervisor develop a rotation among employees to perform the excepted work?
A: Yes, supervisors can rotate the “excepted from the furlough” designation among employees who are equally qualified to perform the excepted work. This minimizes the impact on all employees.
18. If you are currently Absent for Uniformed Service (AUS) and your orders end during the furlough what are the next steps?
A: Contact the HRO Benefits team at ng.wi.wiarng.list.hro-benefits@army.mil to process a Return Duty Checklist and personnel action. HRO will require a current copy of your military order. The employee needs to contact their supervisor to find out if they are excepted or subject to furlough. The supervisor’s decision will establish the next steps.