When this essential worker thing comes up, it means that things are stripped down to bare bones. If they have 10 things they usually do out of an office, maybe 2 are considered essential. It's like doing car maintenance. I have to do the oil change, but I'll leave the timing belt alone since I can't afford it now.
Also, if you are a contract employee - not a government employee - you can't be considered essential no matter what. Those people do not get made whole on their lost wages. These things are cluster f's beyond belief. You take people who are hard working and dedicated, and you abuse them for political nonsense. It's stupid, and it drives good people away. Meanwhile, when these folks come back to work, no pay increases for anyone in government, except cabinet members and the vp are getting raises.
I'm not saying there isn't waste in government. I know there is. People you trust to carry firearms or hold national secrets have to get 3 or 4 people to sign off on the purchase of a box of pens. If they want to buy a computer, it's obsolete by the time 5 levels of people sign off on that kind of purchase. The bureaucracy is bloated, but the folks in the salt mines are generally pretty dedicated.