The following information is provided to assist DOL federal employees who may be impacted by a lapse of appropriations, commonly referred to as a government shutdown. Please continue to check back for new material.

Read the most up to date version of the contingency plans for the Department of Labor.

Timeline of a Shutdown

These timelines are at OMB’s direction, and they can vary.

  • When Congressional negotiations are uncertain in the lead-up to a lapse in appropriations:
    • Typically, 2 days before the potential funding lapse, DOL leadership will send an email to all federal staff notifying them of the potential funding lapse.
    • Typically, 1 day before the potential funding lapse, staff will be informed of their work status during the potential lapse.
  • First business day after a lapse in appropriations:
  • During a shutdown:
    • Federal employees should monitor OPM.gov to know the government operating status.
  • End of a lapse in appropriations:
    • Federal staff are expected to report to work, as normal, the next business day after Congress passes and the President signs a spending bill for their federal agency.
      • Example: On a Monday, Congress passes a spending bill at 12 PM Eastern. On Tuesday, federal employees should work their normal schedule.
    • If you are unavailable to return to duty on the day after a shutdown ends, you should immediately contact your supervisor for further guidance.

Pay During a Shutdown

Responsibilities of Employees

  • Lapse in Appropriations Guidance for All DOL Employees (situational) (PDF) – This provides a summary of instructions on what all federal staff are required to do in the event of a government shutdown.
  • If you have received notice that you will be furloughed during the shutdown, you will still report for duty the first business day after the lapse in order to complete orderly shutdown activities.
  • Please complete all activities on this checklist form:
  • Furloughed staff are encouraged to log in to their DOL computers, Outlook, and other critical systems once per week during a lapse to maintain system access. However, furloughed staff should refrain from accessing devices for non-excepted activities until the lapse in appropriations ends.
  • Monitor the OPM webpage for the government’s operating status.

Frequently Asked Questions

Operational and Administrative Guidance

  • Frances Perkins Building Operations During a Lapse in Appropriations (PDF) – This document provides guidance about what FPB services will be available during a lapse.
  • Media Inquiries – If Department of Labor employees receive media inquiries relating to their official positions, including with respect to the current lapse in appropriations, employees should follow Departmental policy and, as such, route all media inquiries and interview requests to DOL’s Office of Public Affairs (OPA) at dolpublicaffairs@dol.gov. OPA’s press officers will work with agency leadership to identify subject-matter experts as appropriate spokesperson(s). If the request is urgent, it may be sent directly to the Assistant Secretary of OPA.
  • EPP Login Instructions Using Login.Gov (PDF) If you are unable to access your Employee Personal Page (EPP) from LaborNet, this document provides instructions explaining how to access EPP using login.gov.

In the event of a lengthy shutdown, there are benefits and resources available to DOL employees:

DOL Employee Benefits

DOL Employee - Financial Resources

  • Thrift Savings Plan Lapse in Appropriations Information – This TSP-operated page will be updated with guidance on taking a loan out from your TSP account during a government shutdown.
  • Outside Employment Guidance for DOL Federal Employees (PDF) – Common questions about seeking employment outside of the federal government during a shutdown.
  • DOL-wide Pro Bono Guidance (PDF) – A guide to providing pro bono legal services
  • STOCK Act – Disqualification Form (PDF) – Senior career officials and noncareer appointees (all public filers) must complete this form within 3 days of entering into a negotiation for employment with a nonfederal employer.
    • In order to access the form, you MUST select the form name and then select the “Save link as...” option to save it to your documents folder. Then edit from there.
  • Sample Creditor Letter (PDF) – Should appropriations lapse, a creditor letter, specific to that lapse will be posted at this location. This letter can be used by an employee when working with your creditors during a shutdown furlough.
  • Personalized furlough notice – Should appropriations lapse, all staff will receive a furlough notice. Should you require a personalized furlough notice, please contact compensation@dol.gov with the following information: Legal name, work email address, DOL agency, and the reason/justification for your request. You may send the email from a personal email address and request that the personalized letter be sent to your personal email address. Your reason/justification should include details on the precise personnel information that needs to be included in the personalized furlough notice.

Unemployment Insurance (UI) 

Some employees impacted by furlough may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. Note, waiting periods by state vary, and most states require that the UI benefits be repaid after retroactive pay is received.

Information for Federal Workers:

Information for Federal Agencies:

Information for Employment and Training Administration Funded Programs and Activities

In the event of a lapse in appropriations, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) will post information on their funded programs and activities on the ETA Advisory website.

Questions/Comments from DOL Employees

For questions, DOL employees can contact their servicing DOL Human Resources Offices or email OHR@dol.gov.