Sheriff of Nottingham

Trump Administration Lays Out Plan for Federal Workers’ Back Pay

The Trump administration has finalized a schedule for processing back pay for federal workers affected by the recent 43-day government shutdown, with paychecks expected to begin going out as early as Saturday and most completed by November 19.

Back Pay Timeline and Agencies

• Saturday, November 15: Paychecks for employees at the General Service Administration (GSA) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will be processed, covering approximately 12,400 workers. These checks will only include base pay, with other corrections (such as overtime or hazard pay) planned for the next pay cycle.
• Sunday, November 16: Employees of the Departments of Energy, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs, along with Army and non-Army civilian employees at the renamed Department of War, will receive paychecks including standard pay as well as overtime and hazard pay where applicable.
• Monday, November 17: Over 150,000 employees at the Departments of Education, State, Interior, and Transportation, plus agencies such as EPA, NASA, NSF, NRC, and SSA, are scheduled for base pay only, with further corrections in the following pay cycle.
• Wednesday, November 19: Several agencies will process back pay for the full duration of the shutdown (October 1–November 11), including Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, Treasury, and the Small Business Administration. Corrections for missed November pay due to different processor schedules will be made in subsequent checks.

Additional Details

• The pay schedule is part of a deal to reopen the government following intense policy discussions. The deal includes three full-year spending bills and an extension for overall funding through January 30, with additional promises such as a vote to extend enhanced ACA subsidies.
• Trump proposed a $10,000 bonus for air traffic controllers who worked without missing days during the shutdown, as reported by the New York Post.
• The administration pressed agencies to expedite payments ahead of originally projected dates after Congress reached a resolution to reopen the government.

Worker Relief

This payment schedule provides relief for federal workers who faced significant hardship during the shutdown, with some forced to rely on food banks and other support services.