Smaller paychecks expected on October 10
Federal employees will receive their next scheduled paycheck on Friday, October 10, but it won’t be for a full two weeks of work. You might want to pay attention to this one: the ongoing partial government shutdown, which began on October 1, has disrupted normal pay cycles across federal agencies.
According to the federal payroll calendar, this paycheck will only include wages earned for work completed before the shutdown began — specifically from September 21 through October 1.
if you are wondering what this means, well, this means that while federal employees will still get paid on time, the amount will likely be smaller than usual. The remaining days of the shutdown will not be paid out until the government officially reopens and Congress passes a new funding bill.
Who is getting paid—and who isn’t?
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are currently furloughed, meaning they are not working and will not be paid until the shutdown ends. These employees are considered “non-essential” under federal law and are prohibited from performing their duties during a lapse in funding.
However, other workers, such as members of the military, air traffic controllers, and border patrol agents, are considered essential and must continue working—even though their paychecks are delayed.
Once Congress approves new funding, all affected federal employees—both those who are essential and those who have been furloughed—will receive back pay for the days they missed.
What the law says about back pay
For a fun fact, did you know that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 guarantees that federal workers will be compensated for lost pay once the shutdown ends? This means furloughed employees will receive full pay for the days they were not working, and essential workers will be paid for all hours worked during the shutdown.
According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), agencies will automatically process retroactive pay once Congress passes a funding bill. Employees do not need to take any special action to receive their back pay.
That said, President Donald Trump made remarks on October 7 suggesting that some furloughed workers “don’t deserve” to receive back pay. He later clarified that, although most federal employees will receive “taken care of,” there might be exceptions based on agency roles and funding priorities.
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Next payroll and pay dates
The current payroll period runs from October 5 to October 18, covering days entirely affected by the shutdown. According to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), timecards for this pay period must be certified between October 20 and October 21, and direct deposits are scheduled for October 24.
Ok, let me be a little detailed: essential employees working during this time are instructed to continue logging their hours, even though they will not receive immediate payment.
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How the shutdown affects everyday workers
You might want to grab a seat for this segment; for many federal employees, a smaller or delayed paycheck can create financial strain — especially for those living paycheck to paycheck. There is more juicy news for you: some government unions and worker organisations are already setting up emergency assistance programmes to help cover rent, bills, and groceries for furloughed employees.
Meanwhile, essential employees are being urged to keep documentation of their work hours and communicate with their agencies about payroll instructions.
The IRS, National Parks Service, and several federal agencies have either scaled back operations or temporarily closed, while departments like Veterans Affairs remain partially functional to ensure critical benefits and services continue.
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