I'm trying to keep my options open and trying to do the best I can in this. Courtesy of Stephanie RogersAccording to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, furloughed federal workers are immediately entitled to back pay after a shutdown ends. “But as we've seen over the past few months, things that are supposed to happen don't happen, or things that are not supposed to happen do happen,” Rogers says. “One of my daughters isn't sleeping and she's struggling at school because she's exhausted,” Rogers says. Meanwhile, all Rogers can do is watch the news for updates on when the shutdown will end.