The non-essentials employees that stay home during a shutdown and don't get paid during the shutdown get paid for the time that they missed when the shutdown is lifted. Some of them will even get overtime when they come back to catch up on the work that they missed that we paid them for missing. And don't get me started on what they do with the essential workers during a shutdown. During the last shutdown they used Federal Park Rangers (the gun carrying ones, not the guides) to shutdown the Colonial Parkway. Couldn't drive on it cause the government is shut down. On a normal day it takes two to patrol it but it takes 4 to shut it down.