Potential Government Shutdown and Your Career

If you didn’t know, the federal government may shut down because they haven’t decided on a formal budget for FY 2011 yet. Federal shutdowns have occurred in the past and it could happen again.

What does this have to do with you?

Here are some possibilities to be aware of:

• You won’t be able to get a passport
• If you’re a federal employee, you might get to stay home and get paid retroactively
• If you’re a federal contractor, you might get furloughed, fired, or not paid
• If you want to visit one of the National museums or parks, it might be closed
• If you’re a veteran, you might not get your benefit check
• You probably won’t be able to apply for Social Security
• Numerous needed federal services won’t be accessible to you and others

Keep this in mind: If you get laid off due to a federal shutdown, be wary about trying to sue your employer, it’s happened before. In one instance the former employee lost the case because, like many workers – they were “at-will”. So know you’re status if you don’t. Federal shut downs haven’t lasted forever (sometimes a few days, 3 weeks, it depends) and companies have rehired employees they had previously laid off once the shut down ended.

In the case of the employee who lost is lawsuit, he and everyone else who had been laid off was rehired by the company once the government resumed its operations. This employee ended up resigning shortly thereafter (you can probably guess a few reasons why).

In short, know your employment status, be optimistic, but prepare for the worst, and stay on good terms with your employer…the government shut down, if it happens – isn’t their “fault” directly. So if you get fired, stay on good terms and be the one they want to rehire when the time comes.

Want more info about the potential Federal shutdown?

http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/speakout/government-shutdown

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/20/AR2011022003176.html

Comments

[kiralık devremülkler]

thank you. i love to read this type of information posts. again thank you...

[Ebony Tara Scurry, PHR, GCDF]

Kiralik,

I'm so glad you got a lot of value from my post! I'll be sure to post more like it. I appreciate the feedback and love to hear from my readers! So glad this helped you. Thanks again!

~ Ebony :)

[excel classes]

am thinking of a career in the finance sector. I understand that with an engineering backgrd, it is pretty hard to get in this industry, but i'm still at a stage where I'm thinking of which career is right for me. ;)

[Ebony Tara Scurry, PHR, GCDF]

It can be hard, but not impossible. Focus on the skills you currently have that are transferable to the finance sector. This also means doing research of you own and seeing what skills positions in the finance sector that you're interested in require. If there are major gaps in your transferable skills and what's required; do what you can to fill those gaps.

Good luck and thanks for your contribution!

~ Ebony