Kara S Alaimo, Columnist

Why Businesses Should Help Furloughed Federal Workers

Companies have an opportunity to ease the hardship of the shutdown, and build goodwill from consumers.

January 14, 2019 at 8:30 PM UTC

Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is the author of “Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — and How We Can Take It Back.”

U.S. Government Shutdown Hits Record Length With No End Seen — Photographer: Alex Edelman/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

This article is for subscribers only.

As the partial government shutdown drags into its fourth week, some of the furloughed workers have been using the hashtag #ShutdownStories on Twitter to share heartbreaking accounts of how losing their pay leaves them unable to pay bills or care for their children. One mom tweeted:

With no end in sight to the standoff, U.S. businesses have an opportunity to step in and help these families — and garner some great publicity.