Imagine being told your job is safe during a government shutdown, only to find out you could be furloughed for taking a few extra hours of leave. That’s the harsh reality facing some IRS employees right now. Earlier this week, the IRS furloughed nearly half its workforce, but the drama doesn’t end there. Now, even employees who were initially deemed exempt from the shutdown are being warned: take more than eight hours of leave per pay period, and you could be sent home too—at least temporarily. But here’s where it gets controversial: these changes were reportedly communicated verbally, with no official email or memo to back them up. And this is the part most people miss: the IRS has quietly walked back its guarantee of back pay for furloughed employees, deferring instead to the Office of Management and Budget, which has hinted that such pay might not be assured.
According to three IRS employees who spoke to Federal News Network, the new policy was shared during informal conversations, leaving workers confused and anxious. One employee described the emotional toll: ‘I’m having to call employees, and hear them crying, break down. This is very hard. Everything changed today.’ Another employee, who had just signed paperwork confirming their exemption, was stunned to learn they’d be furloughed for taking a few extra hours of leave. ‘I was told I would be furloughed for the remainder of the pay period,’ they said, despite earlier assurances that their leave and pay would continue as normal.
The IRS, which had initially kept all employees working during the first five business days of the shutdown, is now operating with updated contingency plans. As of Wednesday, only 53% of its workforce remains on the job, primarily in taxpayer services roles. But with next year’s filing season looming—and major tax code changes from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ to implement—former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen warned that furloughing more employees could derail critical preparations. ‘I’d be very surprised if much of the remaining workforce was furloughed,’ he said, citing constitutional protections for employees safeguarding federal tax revenues.
Yet, the uncertainty persists. One employee’s furlough notice email mysteriously vanished from their work inbox, though a forwarded copy to their personal email remains. Another was told they’d return to work later this month but couldn’t get that promise in writing. And while some furloughed employees are expected to return next pay period, the agency admits it’s ‘not definite.’
Here’s the bigger question: Is this fair? Legislation signed by President Trump in 2019 guarantees back pay for furloughed employees once a shutdown ends. But with the IRS now deferring to the OMB’s ambiguous stance, workers are left in limbo. Should employees be penalized for taking leave during a crisis not of their making? And what does this mean for the IRS’s ability to serve taxpayers next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—this is a debate worth having.
