{"id":5621,"date":"2026-02-09T21:54:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T21:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/some-army-civilians-worked-during-the-shutdown-and-were-told-to-say-they-didnt\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T21:54:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T21:54:15","slug":"some-army-civilians-worked-during-the-shutdown-and-were-told-to-say-they-didnt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/some-army-civilians-worked-during-the-shutdown-and-were-told-to-say-they-didnt\/","title":{"rendered":"Some Army civilians worked during the shutdown\u2014and were told to say they didn\u2019t"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some Army civilian employees who were supposed to be furloughed during the recent shutdown went to work anyway, then were instructed to fill out time cards stating that they had not. Now the workers fear that this violated standard procedures and forced them to break the law.<\/p>\n

When a shutdown looms, government agencies typically tell each employee whether they are \u201cexcepted\/exempted\u201d\u2014that is, allowed to work during the lapse in annual appropriations\u2014or \u201cnon-excepted,\u201d and therefore barred from working.<\/p>\n

In an email to staff on Monday, Feb. 2\u2014the first weekday of the four-day shutdown\u2014the Army\u2019s Installation Management Command told its employees via email to proceed with \u201cnormal operations,\u201d adding that \u201call command battle rhythm events will occur as scheduled.\u201d The email said that Army headquarters had issued no formal guidance for the shutdown, and therefore employees should continue conducting their normal work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That struck at least some staff as a violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act, the law that restricts federal spending to only what Congress appropriates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how anyone in the Army can have non-excepted employees currently work with no appropriation,\u201d said one IMCOM employee who was slated to be furloughed but who was told to work anyway. \u201cSomeone needs to be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later\u00a0on the evening of Feb. 2, IMCOM officials again emailed the command’s civilians, instructing them to report to work on Tuesday, Feb. 3.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They did. But late on the morning of Feb. 3, workers deemed non-exempted received furlough notices, and consequently stopped working.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Later that day, command leaders sent an email instructing non-exempt workers to code their timesheets as having been on furlough all day on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Government Executive<\/em> and Defense One<\/em> reviewed copies of the emails.<\/p>\n

The IMCOM employee noted that federal workers must certify their timesheets are true and accurate before submitting them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is neither true or accurate,\u201d the employee said of the timesheet they were told to submit. They suggested the directive was a \u201cCYA,\u201d or cover your ass, move by the command\u2019s leaders after having employees work who were not supposed to do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nicole Wieman, an IMCOM spokesperson, declined to comment and directed questions to the Army.<\/p>\n

Asked about the matter, Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge sent this statement: \u201cThe U.S. Army shutdown [sic]<\/em> when directed by the Department of War.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spokespeople for the Defense Department declined to comment.<\/p>\n

Something similar happened at a different Army office. An email sent on the morning of Feb. 3 advised civilian employees to \u201censure their time and attendance is recorded for Feb. 3-6, 2026, with furlough time\u201d even if they worked when they weren\u2019t supposed to be.<\/p>\n

An Army civilian who received that email said no shutdown guidance was provided to the office during regular work hours on Feb. 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very frustrating,\u201d the civilian said. \u201cWe\u2019re all just sitting on the edge of our seats, waiting. Are we going to get sent home? Are we not going to be sent home?\u201d<\/p>\n

The shutdown ended on the evening of Feb. 3, when President Trump signed a spending bill. The following day, employees were back to their normal duties.<\/p>\n

Just before the shutdown began,\u00a0Defense Department officials released guidance that around 55 percent of its 740,000-plus civilian employees would work through the funding lapses, while the rest would be placed on furlough. The guidance made clear that federal employees were not permitted to work once they completed their \u201corderly shutdown activities,\u201d which, per the Office of Personnel Management, can take \u201cup to four hours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFederal agencies generally may not accept services from employees, whose salaries are set by law, without the obligation of appropriations for their compensation, except for emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property,\u201d the guidance stated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The furloughed employees were, by definition, not excepted for the protection of life or property and were therefore ineligible to continuing working all day on Feb. 2 and into Feb. 3.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Anti-Deficiency Act is enforced by the Government Accountability Office, which noted\u00a0violations during the first Trump administration.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, GAO spokesperson Jessica Baxer said that the law prohibits agencies from accepting \u201cvoluntary services\u201d from its employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs such, when a shutdown occurs, the act requires agencies to generally stop their operations,\u201d Baxter said. \u201cWhile there are exceptions, we have noted that the ongoing, regular functions of government may not continue during a lapse in appropriation.\u201d\u00a0\n\n<\/svg><\/p>\n<\/div>\n