Shutdown Resources
STOP & READ
If you are a federal employee who has lost your job (not furloughed from a shutdown), please return to the main Resources for Federal Workers page for more information on filing your claim. The information below is specifically for Federal employees furloughed due to a government shutdown.
Resources for Federal Workers Furloughed by the Government Shutdown
You may have filed, been approved for, and received unemployment benefits if you were furloughed as a direct result of the federal shutdown. When you receive back pay for the time you are furloughed and collected unemployment benefits, you are responsible for repaying any unemployment benefits you received. The Federal Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (GEFTA) requires retroactive pay and leave accrual for federal employees affected by a government shutdown. The law does not cover employees of federal contractors.
To pay back your unemployment benefits, please call our Benefit Payments Control Center at 303-318-9035, and an agent will work with you to set up your payments.
Government Shutdown FAQs
- What is the difference between a furlough due to a government shutdown and a federal layoff?
- If you are a furloughed government employee, your federal employer does not allow you to work because the government has shut down. Furloughed government workers will go back to work when the government shutdown ends. Federal law mandates that furloughed employees receive back pay when they return to work after the shutdown ends.
- Employees who are laid off are not expected to return to work. Their employment has been terminated. If you accepted a separation agreement from your employer, you may or may not be eligible for unemployment benefits. For information on unemployment benefits as a laid-off federal employee, please visit our “Resources for Federal Workers” page.
- What happens when federal workers receive back pay after the shutdown ends?
Federal law requires back pay for the time you were furloughed. As a federal worker, you are responsible for paying back any unemployment benefits received during the shutdown. If you have already requested unemployment benefits and receive payment from your government job, you must provide detailed information about your compensation, including dates and gross amounts.