The Internal Revenue Service initiated a service-wide furlough Wednesday, forcing thousands of employees nationwide to stop working due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The agency announced the furlough began Oct. 8 due to “a lapse in federal appropriations,” affecting IRS offices across the country, including facilities in Jacksonville.
At the downtown Jacksonville IRS office, located in the Wells Fargo building, employees were still told to come into work on Wednesday.
According to the agency’s website, employees were given up to four hours to complete their work requirements before receiving formal furlough notices.
One IRS employee, who requested anonymity due to job security concerns, reported they were “completely in the dark” about the situation.
Other employees at the location declined to comment.
Another employee told News4JAX that after going into work, she was told to pack her things and go home. Some also told us they would be fired for talking to the media.
A second IRS facility in downtown Jacksonville has already ceased operations, posting closure notices on its doors.
The agency has established an emergency information hotline for employees, confirming the furlough affects all IRS workers except those specifically notified and deemed “excepted employees.”
While the IRS maintains a webpage with furlough information, the guidance remains limited. The agency instructed all employees to report for their next scheduled shift, where they would receive further instructions about the furlough process.
The service-wide furlough comes just over a week into the government shutdown, adding to the growing list of federal services affected by the lapse in appropriations.
News4JAX reached out to the IRS to learn more.