Washington — The more than 1.4 million federal employees who have gone without pay during the 43-day government shutdown could begin getting paychecks as soon as this Sunday, while others will have to wait until next Wednesday, Nov. 19.
The pay schedule was laid out in an agency-by-agency projection by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. The memo was first reported by Semafor, and an OMB official confirmed its contents to CBS News.
Hundreds of thousands of essential employees continued working during the shutdown without pay, while nonessential employees were furloughed. Both groups are entitled to back pay for the paychecks they missed while the government was closed.
The administration has a goal of completing its list of backlogged payments by Nov. 19.
Differing dates among agencies are due to different pay schedules and payroll providers, an OMB official said. The official added that the original projected pay dates were supposed to be later, but the White House urged agencies to get checks out “expeditiously and accurately to not leave anyone waiting longer than necessary.”
Most of the first post-shutdown paychecks to employees will only include pay from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1. They will be limited to base pay, meaning no bonuses, overtime or benefits. Pay for days after Nov. 1, as well as for overtime or bonuses, will be issued in the next pay period.
Rod Lamkey / AP
Up first are Army and non-Army civilian employees at the Defense Department, as well as staffers at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Energy and Health and Human Services. Their paychecks are projected to be processed on Sunday, Nov. 16. The checks will include base pay and payments for overtime and hazard pay.
More than 150,000 employees at the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, National Science Foundation, Social Security Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Departments of Education, State, Interior and Transportation are expected to get their paychecks on Monday, Nov. 17. This only includes base pay, with corrections set to be made in the next pay cycle.
Employees at the General Services Administration and Office of Personnel Management are set to receive their paycheck on Saturday, Nov. 15. These checks will only include base pay.
Small Business Administration employees as well as those at the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor and Treasury are expected to receive their back pay payments on Wednesday, Nov. 19. These checks cover the entire period of the shutdown, including from Nov. 1 to Nov. 13.
Federal employees going without pay became a major pain point during the Senate’s fight over funding the government, and was one of several factors that ultimately pushed eight Senate Democrats to join Republicans to end the stalemate. The package cleared the House on Wednesday evening, and President Trump quickly signed it into law, ending the shutdown.
The legislation extended most government funding until Jan. 30, raising the prospect of another shutdown fight in the new year. Other parts of the government are funded through September 2026.
