White House Memo Questions Federal Worker Back Pay After Shutdown

A draft White House memo has proposed that furloughed federal workers may not automatically receive back pay following the current government shutdown, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. This interpretation appears to conflict with the Office of Personnel Management's September guidance, which stated federal employees would receive retroactive compensation once the shutdown concludes. The memo's position also seems to contradict the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which explicitly mandates back pay for all federal employees affected by funding lapses.