Oregon federal workers must repay the unemployment benefits they received during the 16-day shutdown.
Oregon federal workers must repay the unemployment benefits they received during the 16-day shutdown.
The state paid out $839,000 to more than 1,800 federal workers who filed for benefits during the shutdown.
Oregon law initially allowed furloughed workers to keep those checks even Congress eventually provided for the back wages. The clause set Oregon apart from most states and gained national attention.
Now many of those employees must repay the money. The federal Department of Labor ruled on Thursday that workers should be counted as “employed” during the shutdown, meaning they weren’t eligible for benefits. It’s unclear how many other states were affected by the decision.
Read more at OregonLive.com.
