federal jobs

Brittany Melugin, an IRS customer service agent in Kansas City, has been working even during the shutdown began Oct. 1. Melugin says she and her colleagues are experiencing anxiety dreams, and are afraid of taking time off even for serious medical needs.

As the government shutdown drags on, what’s the experience like for federal workers — not just the thousands who have been furloughed, but those left behind to carry on the work without pay? KCUR spoke with an IRS customer service agent about her experiences working through the shutdown, and her worries for the future.

Most air traffic controllers in the Kansas City area were already working 60-hour weeks before the government shutdown. Now, they’re working the same hours without pay. They assure travelers that the skies are safe, but it’s adding stress to an already intense job.

The Federal Aviation Administration will reduce air traffic at many busy airports to maintain safety during the government shutdown, which has led to staffing shortages of air traffic controllers.

Many Kansas City families are worried about their next meal. The government shutdown has left thousands of federal workers in the metro without a paycheck. At the same time, SNAP benefits have been cut back and delayed. Here’s a list of Kansas City-area pantries and kitchens who are meeting the demand.

Roughly 1.4 million federal workers are going without pay due to the government shutdown — including 30,000 in the Kansas City area. About half of them are furloughed, while the other half has been deemed essential and is working without pay.

The Department of the Interior is currently blocked from carrying out its plan to terminate more than 2,000 positions. That includes nearly everyone at the Columbia Environmental Research Center, which has studied ecosystems, animals and toxic chemicals for more than 60 years.

As the shutdown of the federal government stretches into its third week, employees are starting to feel the financial strain of being furloughed or working without pay. Many federal workers live paycheck to paycheck, and food assistance programs in the region are starting to prepare for an influx of need.

In a hearing on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said the layoffs have brought a human cost that cannot be tolerated.

As the government shutdown continues, the lack of any federal funding is having a profound impact on people around the country and here in Kansas City. KCUR's Up To Date examined the government shutdown from three different perspectives.

The Trump administration says it has started the process of issuing "substantial" reduction-in-force notices to federal employees. Court filings suggest around 4,200 affected so far.

A new draft White House memo suggests a 2019 law signed by President Trump that guarantees federal employees get paid after a shutdown ends would not apply to furloughed workers. The Kansas City region has tens of thousands of federal workers who could be affected.