How the estimate works
- Hourly rate. Annual salary ÷ 2,087 hours, the divisor federal pay rules use to convert an annual rate to an hourly rate.
- Workdays. Every Monday–Friday from the first day without funding through the day before funding was restored. Holidays stay in the count because they are paid in a normal pay period.
- Back pay. Workdays × (weekly hours ÷ 5) × hourly rate.
Example: a $75,000 salary works out to about $35.94 an hour. The 2025 lapse covered 30 workdays, so a full-time employee’s delayed gross pay was roughly $8,625—about 3 pay periods of work.
Who is owed back pay
The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 applies to federal employees who are furloughed and to excepted employees required to work during a lapse. Both groups are paid for the lapse period once funding is restored. Exempt employees—those paid from funds that did not lapse—are usually paid on schedule and are not waiting for back pay.
The law guarantees the eventual payment, not each regular payday. Whether you miss a paycheck depends on where the lapse falls in your agency’s pay calendar. Work performed before funding expired is often paid on the next scheduled payday; later paychecks can be delayed or partial until Congress acts.
Why your deposit will differ
- Deductions: income taxes, FERS or CSRS contributions, TSP elections, and union dues are taken from back pay as from a normal paycheck.
- Health premiums: FEHB/PSHB coverage generally continues during the lapse; employee premiums that could not be withheld are recovered when pay resumes.
- Premium pay: excepted employees who worked overtime, night, or Sunday hours may receive those amounts too. This calculator covers only basic pay.
- Unemployment benefits: furloughed employees may be able to claim Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees through their state, but amounts received generally must be repaid once back pay arrives.
Budgeting for a delayed paycheck
Divide your normal biweekly take-home pay into the bills due before the next possible payday. Contact mortgage servicers, landlords, and card issuers early—many lenders and federal credit unions have offered hardship programs during past lapses. Keep your agency’s furlough notice; creditors often ask for it. For the full checklist, read federal employee pay during a shutdown and prepare for a funding deadline.