SKIP TO CONTENT
The United States government shutdown became official on Wednesday October 1, 2025 and has many consequences for both federal contractors and federal employees. Many federal employees will be furloughed, some federal employees will be required to work without pay if they are deemed essential, and many federal agencies will not be operating at their full capacity.
Federal Agencies:
During the shutdown many federal agencies will not be fully operational. For example, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will furlough approximately 95 percent of its employees. As a result the EEOC will not:
-
Have staff available to answer questions from the public or to respond to correspondence, emails, or faxes from the public
-
Charges of Discrimination and EEO complaints will not be investigated
-
Mediations will be cancelled
-
No FOIA requests will be processed
-
Federal sector hearings will be cancelled and federal employees’ appeals of discrimination complaints will not be decided.
-
The EEOC will continue to litigate cases, where an extension has not been granted, until the federal courts suspend operations due to a lack of funds.
Despite this, the EEOC’s public portal will remain open to allow for the filing of charges. Once the government reopens, the EEOC will work to process any charges filed during the shutdown, which means the first notice an employer may have that a charge had been filed is the receipt of a right-to-sue notice.
Additionally, the entire staff of the Office of Administrative Law Judges will be furloughed during this government shutdown, and similarly a majority of the National Labor Relations Board will be furloughed, but a few staff members will remain to respond to unfair labor practices that could result in irreparable harm.
If you need help with any federal employment matters, contact us today at 410-514-6099.