While the question of whether the government would be partially shut down due to budgetary gridlock has now been answered in the affirmative, many questions remain—uppermost among them, how long it will last. That’s a matter only for speculation at this point; history provides a mixed message. Of the shutdowns stretching back over three decades, all but two lasted three days or less. However, the most recent one, over the 1995-1996 holiday period, dragged on for 21 days—and had been preceded shortly before by one lasting five days. The uncertainty over the length already has some employees considering other potential income sources. However, the Office of Government Ethics has sent out a memo saying that furloughed employees remain covered by ethics rules, including job conflict of interest policies. Unemployment compensation policies vary by state but most have a one-week waiting period or longer before eligibility for benefits can begin; employees would have to investigate the policies of their own state.
