Observations on the Recent Shutdown

SMTP:               BENCHMRK@USGS.GOV
Groupwise:          INTERNET:BENCHMRK@USGS.GOV
Banyan Vines:       BENCHMRK
CCMail:             SMTP_MAIL BENCHMRK@USGS.GOV
---------------------------------------------------------------------

                            MEMORANDUM



To:       All Employees

From:     Director

Subject:  Observations on the Recent Shutdown

These past few weeks have been difficult ones for Federal
employees, as we have been forced to grapple with
organizational and personal disruption caused by the recent
4-day shutdown of our operations.  Unfortunately, widespread
use in the media of the term "essential employee" served to
devalue the important work done by thousands of dedicated
people who were forced to stay off the job.  Now back at our
desks, we face the work which did not get done in our
absence, as well as the potential threat of another shutdown
if the budget battle remains unresolved when the current
Continuing Resolution expires at the end of next week.

I'd like to share some observations with you.  The USGS work
force is our most valuable asset, and EVERY ONE OF YOU IS AN
ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE!  The contributions that all of you make,
day in and day out, are vital to the public interest.  The
terms "essential" and "nonessential" should not have been
used to distinguish those few employees who were required to
remain on duty during the furlough from the thousands forced
to stay at home.  Employees whose jobs required them to
continue working to protect life and property or to support
workers engaged in these activities were EXCEPTED from the
furlough.  They were required to be at work even though we
had no appropriation to cover their salaries.  They are
neither more nor less essential to the accomplishment of our
important work than those whose jobs don't happen to 
involve activities to protect life, equipment, or property. 
Nationwide, the USGS excepted fewer than 300 of its 9,000
employees from the furlough.

I am very proud of the dedication of the USGS employees who
were excepted from the furlough and worked without a
guarantee of salary, and I extend to those employees my deep
gratitude.  I am equally proud of those who endured the
frustration of being locked out of their jobs for 4 days,
who worried about the work that was backing up, and who
reported back ready to do what needed to be done when the
furlough ended.

It is my fervent hope that we will not face another
Government shutdown this year.  In the event that we do,
however, I've asked the Office of Human Resources to give
you specific information in a separate memorandum to be
issued in the next few days.
Pam Malam
Staff Assistant for Special Issues
Director's Office                   Phone: (703)648-7415
National Center, Mail Stop 121        Fax: (703)648-4454
Reston, VA 22092                         pmalam@usgs.gov