White House staff began receiving guidance on how they would be affected by the government shutdown. The White House budget office sent an email to staff on Thursday saying that exempted workers and senior White House staff, known as duty officers, should not report to work.

They include the chief of staff, the director of the National Economic Council and the press secretary.

The email said other staffers would be considered furloughed unless they heard otherwise from their superiors. According to the message, which urged recipients in the subject line to "PLEASE READ," all furloughed staff should stop working as of midnight on Sunday, October 1, except for a four-hour period to "complete shutdown activities in an orderly manner."

Furloughed and exempted employees "will receive retroactive pay for the furlough period as soon as possible" after the shutdown ends, the email said.