prevent the undue punishment of federal employees in the form of a furlough due to sequestration/the debt ceiling crisis

Federal employees have taken the brunt of the consequences arising from the lagging economy. From a pay/cola freeze to the continuing threat of furloughs, federal employees should not be caught in the middle of Congress' stalemate. With all of the talk about the pending sequestration and now the debt ceiling crisis, the threat of a furlough is now more prevalent than ever. If federal employees do in fact undergo a furlough due to budgetary reasons, Congress should institute a policy in which each employee's pay is equally withdrawn throughout the fiscal year to prevent undue hardship. Further, employees should be able to decide when they take the required time off during the FY on a leave without pay basis, so the furloughed time does not feel like such a punishment and destroy morale.