Anna Hartz
Federal Workers Get False Layoff Notices After Shutdown Coding Error
When government funding stalls, it often feels like ordinary people pay the price. Offices close, paychecks stop, and confusion spreads across federal agencies.
The current U.S. government shutdown has now entered its twelfth day, and it is already creating strange and frustrating problems for thousands of workers.
Thousands of False Lay Offs
Thousands of federal employees received mistaken layoff notices after a coding error in the system, reports Digi24.
The mistake also affected staff members at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CBS News reported that more than 4,000 workers from seven different agencies may have received such notices last Friday.
Staff Reduction Talks
The Trump administration had been considering staff reductions as part of the shutdown, but the messages were not supposed to go out.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) later said that some of the notices were sent to CDC employees in error.
A Coding Mistake
Andrew Nixon, a representative for HHS, said the problem was due to a coding mistake.
“Employees who received incorrect notices were never separated from the agency and were informed that they were not affected by the staff reduction,” he said. The false layoff messages were withdrawn soon after the error was discovered.
The Stress of the Shutdown
Even so, the situation added more stress to an already difficult period for federal workers. Many have not been paid since the shutdown began on October 1.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “We are not in a good mood,” noting that Friday marked the first day employees missed their full salaries.
Standoff Not Ending Soon
The budget standoff in Congress shows no sign of ending soon. The Senate has rejected both Republican and Democratic spending plans seven times. Lawmakers are not expected to meet again until Tuesday afternoon.
A Political Battle
If no agreement is reached quickly, the consequences will deepen. Members of the U.S. military are expected to miss their next paycheck on October 15.
The shutdown, meant as a political battle, has instead become a source of chaos, anxiety, and real hardship for people across the federal workforce.
This article is made and published by Anna Hartz, which may have used AI in the preparation
