The U.S. government's fiscal year ended at midnight last
night without congressional agreement regarding appropriations,
resulting in a partial government shutdown, which will affect the
federal agencies that monitor the workplace. This includes:
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): All NLRB
field offices will be shut down. Services affected include:
representation and unfair labor practice charge docketing,
investigations, hearings, complaints, and settlements; injunctions
and enforcement actions; and administrative law judge and board
decisions. Eleven employees (the five board members, the acting
general counsel, and a few others who hold senior leadership
positions with the agency) are the only individuals the agency
currently exempted from furlough. Additional staff may be called to
handle emergencies during the shutdown.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC):
The EEOC will continue to function with 107 (out of 2,164) staff
members nationwide. During the temporary shutdown, the agency will
continue to docket new charges and federal sector appeals. It will
also litigate lawsuits where continuances are not granted by the
court and will seek injunctive relief as necessary. While the EEOC
is accepting new charges during the shutdown, it will not
investigate those charges. The EEOC also will not conduct
mediations or process FOIA requests during the shutdown.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA): OSHA will temporarily cease all operations except
for those that relate to "emergencies involving the safety of
human life or protection of property." Two hundred and thirty
staff members will continue to work at the agency through the
shutdown and will be able to respond to safety and health
complaints that involve potentially hazardous conditions that
"present a high risk of death or serious physical
harm."
Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD):
The WHD will suspend operations and will furlough all but six
employees.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and
Employment and Training Administration (ETA):
Fee-for-service activities performed by the USCIS are expected to
continue, because they are funded by sources other than
appropriated funds. During the temporary shutdown, USCIS expects to
furlough only 353 of 12,558 employees. Consular operations run by
the State Department will remain 100 percent operational only as
long as there are fees to support those operations. However,
E-verify temporarily will be shut down, and the ETA will not
process any foreign labor certifications needed for some
employment-based visas during the period of a temporary
shutdown.
For links to each agency's contingency plan, please go to the
Office of Management and Budget at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/contingency-plans.
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