US authorities may withhold pay from furloughed employees due to shutdown

The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering the possibility of denying back pay to government employees who were furloughed due to the suspension of federal government funding, Reuters noted, citing a draft document, Report informs.

According to the agency, the US administration's initiative does not mandate the payment of salaries to furloughed employees after the shutdown ends.

Consequently, approximately 700,000 government employees are at risk of not receiving their pay, Reuters noted.

In the draft document dated October 3, White House lawyers, as cited by Reuters, insist that a law passed during Trump's first presidential term in 2019 does not provide for automatic salary payments and states that any such payments must be approved by the US Congress.

Earlier on September 7, Trump stated that the US administration, amid the shutdown, could implement significant staff reductions and layoffs within US agencies and terminate a number of government programs.

Furthermore, he did not rule out the possibility that some employees of US agencies would not receive back pay after government funding resumes.