Brenda Meskunas was furloughed from her job with the Department of Homeland Security last month, forcing her to apply for unemployment insurance in Ohio to cover her bills. To qualify for the benefits, Meskunas had to demonstrate to the state that she’s actively seeking work.
So she applied for two administrative jobs in the private sector. They both pay better than her current position. They might lack job security, but federal government paychecks aren’t reliable either these days.
“I’ve been with the government for 10 years, but if I’m offered a decent package, I would seriously consider taking it,” said Meskunas, 56. “I don’t want to go through this again.”
For workers like her, one of the most worrying effects of the record-setting partial government shutdown is the way in which it’s making civil service less attractive.

The shutdown marked its 31st day Monday, making it at least 10 days longer than the previous record. Nine of 15 agencies and roughly a quarter of government functions are affected by the lapse in funding.
If the Trump administration really wants to diminish the federal workforce, a prolonged and painful shutdown could help toward that goal. Whether they’re longtime civil servants or relatively new to the government workforce, many federal employees feel less secure and less valued each day they’re locked out of their jobs.


The uncertainty could easily lead many of the most productive employees to leave government for other work or could discourage some of the brighter prospects from ever applying.
“We’re going to see the fallout from this for a while,” Meskunas predicted.
Grinding away at federal job security has been a hallmark of the Trump administration.
Last year the White House issued a handful of executive orders aimed at weakening collective bargaining rights and making it easier to fire government workers. Key portions of those orders were blocked by a federal judge. The administration has also sought a pay freeze for civilian federal employees, resetting an automatic across-the-board raise to zero, and considered cutting federal worker pensions.

To the unions representing federal employees, it often feels as if the Trump administration is at war with its own workforce. Despite their middle-class wages, federal workers have found themselves lumped in with the Washington “swamp” that needs draining.

More at: https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/longe...200508211.html