Contact Amanda Farnan Press Secretary (774) 571–3639 [email protected] The furlough is terrible for workers — even when they are back on the job January 25, 2019 The furlough appears finally to be over. Now federal workers and their managers will swiftly move from a netherworld of political chaos and confusion to a different sort of crisis. Most are facing past-due bills and resentment about the trauma of going without pay. Others are questioning careers they’ve built, weighing a move to the private sector.