Photo by Kevin Harber

The mandatory federal budget cuts that went into effect earlier this year are finally cutting into the workers at the government’s single largest employer. Starting this week, 650,000 civilians who work for the Defense Department will be forced to take an unpaid day off from work every week for the remainder of the current fiscal year, 11 days in total.

When the budget cuts, known as sequestration, went into effect, the Pentagon originally estimated its civilian workers would have to take off 22 days. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in May that that figure would be cut in half. Sequestration, a result of Congress and the White House being able to settle on a deficit reduction deal, requires each government agency to slash its budget by five percent.

The Washington Post reports that while other agencies have found ways to make those cuts without affecting their full-time payrolls, the Pentagon could not avoid it.

While many federal agencies have avoided furloughs, the Defense Department decided it could not meet the mandated cuts without them. The furloughs are projected to save the Defense Department $1.8 billion, according to officials.

Furloughed workers are prohibited from performing any work-related assignments while away from their jobs.

The Federal Workers Alliance, a coalition of labor unions that represent government workers, says the furloughs will cost the Pentagon’s civilian employees 20 percent of their salaries through the end of September and is asking people to get in touch with their legislators about canceling the furloughs.