Name:   Talullahhound - Subject:   Shutdown Date:   12/14/2018 10:29:28 AM

Okay Martini, let me correct you.  Everyone is not an "essential employee" during a shut down, so although these organizations you mentioned may be deemed "essential", they will be minimually staffed, so I will stand on what I previously posted. There are a few poeple deemed essential in every department and they will be paid.  It is not automatic that people receive reimbursement if they are off during the shutdown - it requires special legislation by Congress, as to whether back pay will be made or not.  So it is nothing like a paid vacation. When the government shuts down, people will be presented with a formal letter that says that you may not report to work and that there is no guarentee that you will be paid.  The employee do not know how long they will shut the government down, and if or when they will get back payback.  They have expenses and bills just like everyone else, so it is stressful not knowing if the bills are going to be get paid.  No one in the government takes a shut down lightly.  

The military will get paid whether the government is shut down or not, and they are required to report for duty.  Support contractors may be required to report for work at their company - but unless it is a big company - they may or may not get paid, because technically the government is closeed down because they are out of money. 

And then you have all the people that have businesses that are serving the government population - restaurants, dry cleaners, laundry services, coffee shops, etc  that will lose money if the government employees are not at work.  

It's much more complex than just what you seem to think.