Therefore, it operates normally whether the rest of OPM is open, according to National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). I reached out to the association to learn how the shutdown affects the retirement plans of federal employees. Q: How has the partial government shutdown affected federal employees ready to retire at the beginning of the year? Retirement applications for federal employees who work for agencies indirectly affected by the shutdown will probably not be affected by the shutdown. Retirement applications for federal employees who work for agencies not directly affected by the shutdown will not be affected by the shutdown.

Source: Washington Post January 12, 2019 12:00 UTC