In government, a furlough means a temporary, unpaid leave from work where the employee is still technically employed and is generally expected to return once funding or operations resume.

Basic meaning

  • A furlough is a mandatory, unpaid leave of absence, usually for a set period of time.
  • The employment relationship continues: the person is not fired, and there is usually an expectation they will come back to their job when the furlough ends.

In a government context

  • During a government shutdown, many ā€œnonā€‘essentialā€ federal employees are placed on furlough because there is no approved funding to pay them, so they must stop working and stop receiving pay until Congress restores funding.
  • ā€œEssentialā€ employees may still work without pay during a shutdown, but those who are furloughed stay home and later often receive back pay once a funding bill passes.

How it differs from layoffs

  • A layoff is usually a permanent separation where the employee loses their job, while a furlough is designed to be temporary and costā€‘saving, keeping the employee on the books.
  • Furloughed government employees often retain some benefits (like health insurance), even though their paycheck stops during the furlough period.

TL;DR: In government, being furloughed means you are temporarily sent home without pay for budget or funding reasons, but you still have your job and are expected to return once the government is funded again.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.