Small Contractors Face Most Pressure as Shutdown Drags On

Contractors with small, specialized practices could be at risk of losing employees and may have to move workers to other projects or use the downtime for training, as the partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22 continues.

“If this drags on for weeks or months, people will be out of sorts. They will have exhausted their annual and sick leave” and will be less inclined to be loyal to their employers, Venable LLP attorney Dismas Locaria told Bloomberg Law.

Contract employees with in-demand skills such as cybersecurity specialists likely will be the first to jump ship, said Locaria, a partner ...