Government Shutdown: Key Information for War Department Employees

At 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sept. 30, 2025, the Department of War’s funding authority expired. Until Congress passes and the President signs a new appropriations bill or a continuing resolution, the Department will operate under shutdown conditions.

Duty Status

• Military personnel: Continue reporting for duty under normal schedules but will not receive pay until the shutdown is resolved.

• Civilian personnel: Employees not performing excepted functions will be placed on furlough (non-work, non-pay status).

Supervisor & Employee Notifications

• Written updates to furlough notices are not legally required.

• Supervisors may recall employees for excepted duties using reasonable means of communication (phone call, oral notice, or email).

• If recalled employees are later deemed no longer necessary, supervisors can return them to furlough status the same way—without issuing a new formal notice, provided this occurs within the period covered by the original furlough notice.

• Supervisors must document all changes in employee status (from excepted to non-excepted or vice versa). Records may be maintained via memorandum, email, spreadsheet, or equivalent forms of documentation to support personnel actions.

Guidance on Excepted Activities

The Deputy Secretary of War has issued “Guidance for Continuation of Operations During a Lapse in Appropriations – Sept. 2025.” This outlines which activities qualify as excepted functions.

Pay During and After the Shutdown

Under 31 U.S.C. § 1341(c)(2), all federal employees affected by a lapse in appropriations are guaranteed retroactive pay once funding is restored.

• Payment must be issued at each employee’s standard rate.

• Compensation must be delivered at the earliest possible date following the end of the shutdown, regardless of normal pay cycle dates.

• Retroactive pay does not apply to any period when an employee was already scheduled to be in a non-pay status prior to the shutdown.

Staying Informed

Employees should monitor public broadcasts and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website for the latest updates on federal budget status and guidance during the lapse in appropriations.