I do IT support on a military base. The "government civilian" (a GS-12) who sits next to me is furloughed. He's at home on his "paid vacation." Me? I'm a "contractor." My company sent me an email yesterday saying that because the government contract is "paused," I am "terminated, effective immediately." When the shutdown ends, that GS-12 will come back and get a fat check for all his missed pay. I will get nothing, and I will be unemployed. My company will probably lose the contract, and they won't need me. We do the same job, but the policy creates a two-tiered world: the protected "insiders" and the disposable "help." #Contractor #NoBackPay #TwoTierSystem