For many furloughed federal workers, President Trump’s announcement that he would sign a bill to reopen the government for three weeks was good new —and meant they could go back to work. But there are still plenty of questions about what exactly the temporary end of the shutdown means.

A few that might be swirling:

When Should I Go Back To Work?

Assuming a bill is passed and signed, federal employees will likely return to work on their next regularly scheduled workday, which for many, would be Monday, according to Ken Thomas, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, an advocacy group for federal worker.

When Will I Get Backpay?

According to the law President Trump signed last week guaranteeing backpay for workers, workers won’t have to wait until their next pay-date to get their check, Thomas said.

The law says an employee will be paid “at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.”

“The assumption is that their payroll office would probably start processing at the beginning of next week and they should have backpay sometime either Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday,” Thomas said.

Tony Reardon, National Treasury Employees Union President, said that next week wasn’t soon enough.

“Get the checks out, now. Federal employees haven’t been paid in more than a month and mortgage and rent are due next week. They shouldn’t have to wait a minute longer,” Reardon said.

A senior official at the Office of Personnel Management said that the administration is working to make sure employees get paid as soon as possible, but when exactly workers will receive their next paycheck depends on where they work.

“Since specific payroll issues vary by agency, employees can find more information about paycheck details by reaching out to their agency,” the official said.

How Long Will The Shutdown Offers Last?

Chef José Andrés was greeting furloughed employees outside World Central Kitchen Friday afternoon. He said the kitchen would continue operating for another week, until Feb. 1.

Catholic Charities is also planning to host events next week offering emergency funds and food. Catholic Charities CEO John Enzler told DCist: “Until people’s need are taken care of, Catholic Charities will continue to help.”

Those hoping to ride Metro for free over the weekend will be disappointed, however. The Metro board canceled its vote on allowing federal employees ride for free following the announcement that an agreement on ending the shutdown had been reached.

What Does This Mean For The Region?

The reputation of the federal government as an employer  — and the reputation of the Washington region in general — has been damaged by the shutdown, says Stephen Fuller, a regional economist at George Mason University.

“The image of this region has been tarnished,” Fuller said. “Where it shows up is our biggest asset for future economic growth is our labor pool, and people will not want to work for the federal government as much now as they night have before. The government will have a much harder time recruiting workers and retaining workers.”

What Are Local Lawmakers Saying?

Washington’s non-voting representative in Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) gave credit for the end of the shutdown to air traffic controllers.

Thank you air traffic controllers. You scared Trump straight into opening the government.

— Eleanor Holmes Norton (@EleanorNorton) January 25, 2019

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) called on President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to apologize.

“Hundreds of thousands of Americans will never recover from Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell’s petty power play. They should apologize for all suffering they inflicted on federal workers, contractors, and everyone who was impacted by their senseless shutdown,” Wexton said in a statement.

What’s The Likelihood I’ll Be In This Same Situation In Three Weeks?

The current agreement opens the government until Feb. 15. It’s impossible to know if an agreement on funding can be reached in that time, but local representatives were emphatic that the government not be shut down again.

In her statement, Wexton called the shutdown a debacle that accomplished nothing, and added: “Using shutdowns as leverage in policy negotiations never works, and I hope this President now recognizes that he must never do it again.”

This story originally appeared on WAMU.