The first furlough notices for government employees have gone out

[cal04]

The first furlough notices for government employees have gone out.

The Army sent letters on Feb. 28 and March 1 to unions warning that employees at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Gunpowder, Md., as well as the Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla, Wash., will be forced to stay at home without pay one day each week from April 22 through Sept. 21.

Translation: A 20% pay cut for 5 months. Employees will stay at home on either a Monday or Friday. Not everybody may get to choose their days, because supervisors have to ensure that at least half the staff is available on both days.

Employees won't be able to use sick leave or vacation to collect pay on furlough days. That's true for all federal worker furloughs, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/05/news/economy/furlough-notices-sequester/index.html?iid=HP_LN

[99Forever]

1. Austerity comes to the MIC.

Welcome to the world us little people have been dealing with for 5 years. Only we didn't just get "furloughs," we lost everything.

[OldDem2012]

2. Not good, but better than losing their jobs entirely....

...there will definitely be a big upswing in people looking for one day a week of part-time work.

Some folks may lose enough income to allow them to apply for food stamps....an unintended consequence, I'm sure.

[bigbrother05]

3. Same basic message was given to all Army civilians

There will be few exceptions, security/fire services. Fed wages have also been frozen for 3 years and Congress voted down the 1/2 % pay bump for this year.

It is being structured so there is no unemployment benefits and will have to get agency approval of any outside jobs, just as if full time.

The other shoe is what are the plans if the cuts last 10 years? Can expect force reductions and extended cuts to facility maintenance funding that will lead to deterioration at bases across the military. Think of the Ft. Bragg barracks video writ large.

Don't object to Defense cuts, just put some thought into them.