March/April 2019

Communities: Government
Federal PEs Cope With Shutdown Effects

Over the 35 days of the partial government shutdown that began on December 22, affected agencies included those with engineering and science roles.

Halted were the Environmental Protection Agency’s industrial pollution inspections, the Food and Drug Administration’s routine food-processing facilities inspections, and (temporarily) the Federal Aviation Administration’s airplane safety inspections. The National Science Foundation suspended research grants, NASA stopped analyzing data, and the Federal Transit Administration didn’t have staff to release funds to local transit systems.

But federal employees weren’t sitting at home enjoying a vacation, emphasizes George Hamilton, P.E., F.NSPE, an engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. As Hamilton, who serves as union president for nonmanager scientists and engineers, explains, people got more frazzled as the weeks dragged on. “After the first missed paycheck, the anxiety level ratcheted up. After the second, it really got interesting for a bunch of folks.”

While Hamilton managed financially, he worried about recent graduates with student loan payments, single parents needing to keep their childcare slot, “excepted” employees who were required to work and ineligible for unemployment, and contractors who may not receive back pay.

Federal Emergency Management Agency engineer Sasha Robertson, P.E., waited at home “in limbo” as the Army Corps of Engineers continued to operate contracted facilities projects at the Anniston, Alabama, training campus where she works. As the NSPE member explains, if she had been laid off, she would have charged forward with job searching. But, still employed, she could run into conflict-of-interest issues by taking other work, since most of the companies where she’d be a candidate do business with the federal government.

Kevin Gustin, P.E., a National Institute of Standards and Technology mechanical engineer who performs design and construction for lab remodels, says that his projects were on hold during the shutdown, which could result in research slowdowns. Also on hold was the continuing education required for the NSPE member’s certification as a contracting officer, since he couldn’t access it through the government website.

Federal contractors were affected as well. SAIC employees who normally report for work at FAA and NASA had to stay home. NSPE member Jeffrey Raver, P.E., vice president for training and mission solutions, explains that the company moved some workers to other projects while keeping others on the payroll with extended comprehensive and paid administrative leave. But SAIC is concerned about losing talent, with defense and federal contracting now potentially less appealing to young engineers.

Long-term consequences for talent were raised in media reports as well. As a New York Times article noted, with private companies offering double or triple the salaries, “the civil service relies to a large degree on goodwill.” But if that is eroded, “long after the government reopens, this is the damage that could last.”

Robertson enjoys her work and its mission, but during the shutdown considered opportunities in the private sector. The government doesn’t keep up with technical salaries, she notes. And, “it’s the people with options that will go.”

Gustin had previously worked at a consulting company and wanted a change. The shutdown caused him to ponder, “Why didn’t I just stick with that?” He likes serving the public but, “if this situation keeps happening, it’s like, ‘Why bother?’”

Public service was also a driving factor for Hamilton, for whom NASA is the “family business.” Stability is another big draw for federal workers, he says: “You know that every two weeks, Uncle [Sam] is going to make a deposit for us.” Federal employees don’t have to worry about the business cycles, he says, but now political cycles are a concern.

But as he reached out to NASA employees via home email, Hamilton shared this message: “Keep the faith. We will get through this. Keep your long-distance glasses on. We’ll get back to regular order in a while.”

NSPE members quoted in this article spoke about their personal experiences and opinions. Their comments should not be viewed as official agency statements.