WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) — If the government shuts down next Tuesday, furloughed federal workers could be violating the law if they do something as simple as check their work e-mail.
The Antideficiency Act, passed by Congress during Chester Arthur’s administration, prevents non-working federal employees from doing any job-related functions during a shutdown if the government cannot pay for it.
The White House budget office made clear last week that employees on furlough during a shutdown can’t touch their government-issued mobile devices, or even use home computers or laptops to access work email.
