Featured January 15, 2019 How leaders can prepare for federal employees to return to work after the shutdown Back to Blog How to prepare for another partial government shutdown Date February 12, 2019 | Updated on October 21, 2020 Authors Tags Government Effectiveness While Congress has reached a tentative deal to fund the government, until a bill is signed into law, agencies should make sure they are prepared for another shutdown. A shutdown of any length hobbles the work of government. One that lasts weeks can’t help but cause pain to federal workers. Organizations need to be ready in advance of a major disruption to ease some of the difficulties federal employees face. Many agencies’ chief human capital officers are updating “lessons learned” documents in anticipation of a potential lapse in funding. In the wake of the most recent, lengthy, partial government shutdown, the Partnership worked with senior government leaders to generate a list of best practices for agencies readying to shut down, including: Ensure your HR teams are completely up-to-date on how employees can apply for unemployment insurance in each state. Remind employees to print a copy of their latest SF-50 or W-2 and furlough notice before the shutdown begins. Update your Employee Assistance Program offerings, especially financial services help. Communicate with all employees on a regular basis prior to the potential shutdown. Update your continuity of operations plans to ensure you have personal contact information for every staff member. Pull together FAQs, post them as soon as possible and maintain them as living documents throughout the shutdown. To see all 13 recommendations, download our Ready to Shutdown Tips.
