The unpredictability of the government has always been a point of conversation for many federal employees. Since the government shutdown that lasted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 13, that worry over income has only grown. Essential programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food benefits for families with lower income, and all federal-based organizations had either temporarily halted operations or seen extreme cuts. Yet, the true impact lies in federal employees, who had no income and had been essentially ‘laid off’ for the duration of the government shutdown. Workers had to prepare overnight for the tumultuous weeks following the beginning of the shutdown, budgeting everything from bills to expenses for their family, with no idea when a reliable source of income would come back into their lives. 

According to Muzdalifa Syed, a federal employee that works directly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on healthcare projects, the government shutdown became an uncontrollable stress in her life. Syed’s company was funded by the CDC, so when the shutdown happened and projects came to a cease, there was essentially nothing she could do. 

“When we’re working on a contracted project, we have certain … billing projects,” Syed said in an interview with Eastside, “so when we don’t have a project for more than a month, we get laid off.” 

She further explained that not having a project to work on is similar to being on a bench during a game. When fewer people are on that bench, it makes it easier because that means there are a couple projects open, and most people can get off that bench to continue working. However, during the government shutdown, it was as if 200 people were on the bench, each grabbing at any opportunity to reestablish their career. 

“I was lucky enough to find something to work on … but many were not,” Syed said.  

Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, many federal projects that dealt with clean energy or women’s health have been canceled. Syed pointed to the project she was working on prior to the government shutdown, called the IMPROVE initiative (Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone Initiative), that focused on reducing the high rates of pregnancy related deaths. 

According to Syed, “When Trump came into office … he targeted certain types of projects … that he thought weren’t helping.” 

Following the shut down of this program, Syed said that her mental health only continued to deteriorate. 

“I don’t think this is good for my mental health,” said Syed, on why she resigned just a month after the government reopened. “I would rather quit on my own choice than be laid off for not … finding a project.”

Syed’s choice to quit on her own terms was not only a courageous choice to make, but a popular one, as the total number of federal employees resigning this year was 317,000. The uncertainty of career choices and flexibility existing in our government even now has impacted federal employees greatly, which raises the question: What would a society without the people efficiently running our government look like? The simplest answer is anarchy, which undoubtedly emphasizes the importance of federal employees, illustrating the need to not only work toward the best future for everyone, but for fears of SNAP ending and shaky income to no longer exist.