In the case of a government shutdown, those workers are put on leave because there isn't money budgeted for their job. The good news is that furloughed employees who are not allowed to work or who do not receive paychecks are still guaranteed back pay due to legislation passed in January 2019.

Government shutdowns occur when the federal government stops all or some of its operations because of a funding gap. Shutdowns happen when Congress fails to pass a budget for the following fiscal year, according to the Brookings Institution.