Richmond's UNOS hit by shutdown: 90+ workers furloughed with no back pay
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More than 90 people at Richmond-based United Network for Organ Sharing have been furloughed due to the federal government shutdown.
Why it matters: The federal organ procurement and transplant network has paused many operations, and these affected Richmond workers won't get back pay once the shutdown ends, a UNOS spokesperson tells Axios.
State of play: Last week, the Health and Human Services Department ordered UNOS to halt much of its work until the government reopens.
- The Jackson Ward-based nonprofit can continue matching and allocating organs and communicating with patients on waitlists / to address life-threatening risks, but little else.
- UNOS manages most network functions under a government contract.
Zoom in: UNOS said in a statement it isn't in a "position to continue funding the salaries of employees ... when the government has indicated it will not cover those costs."
- UNOS also noted that the federal government owes it more than $10 million for work already completed.
The other side: HHS told Axios that risk monitoring and essential functions of the network should continue without interruption.
By the numbers: The 90+ furloughed workers account for around 25% of UNOS' staff.
- Earlier this year, UNOS laid off around 10% of its nearly 500-person workforce, WWBT reported.
Between the lines: The furloughed Richmond workers, like all benched federal workers, are eligible to receive unemployment benefits, Virginia Employment Commission spokesperson Kerri O'Brien tells Axios.
- The max weekly benefit amount for them, and all Virginians, is $378 a week.
- Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, around 550 federal employees have filed for unemployment benefits in Virginia, O'Brien says.