By Corrections1 Staff
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The government shutdown is increasingly taking a toll on Florida federal workers.
Czatka Chutes, a single mother and corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institution, said the reality of the shutdown is settling in.
“It’s sad. And sometimes I cry about it, sometimes I get mad and frustrated about it,” Chutes told WCTV.
Chutes says the shutdown is taking a toll on employees. The institution is already short staffed, causing employees to work overtime with little ability to take off.
“It really makes it tough when you’re in a position of security and safety and you’re supposed to be focused on the job at hand and you have these thoughts going on in the back of your mind,” said Ray Coleman Jr., president of Local 1570, which represents staff at the federal center.
The pressure of paying bills is also taking a toll on employees.
“I can’t make these companies accommodate me because of the shutdown,” Chutes said.
If the government doesn’t reopen soon, Chutes, along with other federal employees, said they will consider looking for new jobs.