Among the government employees who are required to show up to work, and for now are not getting paid, are air traffic controllers.

There are more than 14,000 air traffic controllers who work for the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s work that is stressful and can be full of high-anxiety to begin with, and a shutdown and potential for massive job cuts compound the pressures of the job.

A recently retired, 35-year veteran controller who worked at several major U.S. facilities and airport towers told WTOP, “The air traffic profession is a stressful situation no matter what’s going on in the political sphere.”

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