Federal employee unions are fervently supporting Kamala Harris for president, in part because they like her pro-labor policies, but just as much because they fear a second Trump term.
The Washington, D.C., region is home to about 400,000 federal employees, plus members of the military and government contractors. In a government shutdown, they face no pay and lots of uncertainty.
A government shutdown is looming but not every federal office will close completely. Some critical services will continue as employees work without pay.
As employers including the federal government cut back on remote work, employees who never had any intention of working from an office push back and threaten to retire or resign.
Thousands of federal civil servants will no longer have to answer calls or emails from their bosses outside of working hours. The law aims to address burnout exacerbated by the pandemic.
