How the federal shutdown could affect Ohio government workers

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio receives millions of dollars from the federal government to implement federal policy, and as the shutdown continues, state agencies are preparing for funding disruptions.

Public employee union contracts require the state government to notify employees of any potential furlough two weeks in advance. On Friday, about 9,000 state workers at six different agencies received that notice.

“While we hope for a resolution from Washington soon, we must prepare for the potential impact on our workforce in the coming weeks should the shutdown continue,” Department of Administrative Services Director Kathleen C. Madden said. “We will continue to evaluate the situation daily and will have more specific information should further action become necessary.”

DAS stressed this week that these notices are informational only. For now, state employees are still reporting to work and are still being paid. DAS also estimates that less than half of all state employees would likely be subject to furloughs, specifically those employees whose positions are partially or fully funded by the federal government.

Agencies with employees who received the DAS notice include the Adjutant General’s Department, the state Environmental Protection Agency, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, the Department of Health, the Department of Job and Family Services, and the Department of Public Safety.

State Representative Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) is worried about the impact on Ohioans if those agencies are suddenly understaffed.

“My concern is these are agencies that serve some of our most vulnerable Ohioans who are facing loss of benefits themselves, and even if they’re not facing loss of benefits, they are facing the stress of potential future loss of benefits,” Piccolantonio said.

Piccolantonio said she has already heard from worried constituents about the possibility of furloughs.

“They don’t know anything right now, other than that either they received a notice, or their coworkers received a notice, or employees that they know at another agency, and the level of anxiety just really goes up,” she said. “The people that reached out to me are parents of young kids…I would like for us to get out in front of it and come up with a solution.”

DAS said that if the shutdown continues another two weeks and furloughs become necessary, the affected employees will be notified individually and in advance. If Congress ends the shutdown in the next two weeks, however, Piccolantonio wants the state government to be more proactive.

“State employees are working people who live in this state, too, who may have families and have other responsibilities that they need to be able to take care of,” Piccolantonio said. “If funding backfill is going to be needed or if fronting funding is going to be needed, the legislature is going to need to be involved, so what I would hope is that we are creative and we are thoughtful.”