OMB: Shutdown won’t prevent next paycheck for federal workers

Federal workers will get their next paycheck over the holidays, even if the government shuts down Saturday, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

“As necessary, agencies and payroll providers may finalize the processing of paychecks for the December 9-22 biweekly pay period as an orderly shutdown activity,” the OMB guidance said.

{mosads}But the paycheck for that pay period, which would normally be issued between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3, will be about 7 percent smaller than normal. That’s because the last day of the pay period, Dec. 22, would be the first day of a shutdown, meaning workers would not receive payment for that day.

If the shutdown drags on for more than two weeks, however, federal workers would not be able to receive their next checks covering the Dec. 23-Jan. 5 pay period, which would typically be delivered starting Jan. 11.

Typically, Congress agrees to back-pay furloughed and unpaid workers as part of legislation ending shutdowns.