Would shutdown cut the digital tether?

If the government shuts down at midnight Friday, many furloughed employees may still have to come to work to turn in their government-issued tools -- including handhelds, laptop computers and other IT or communications equipment, reports the Wall Street Journal. 

However, that could be harder than it sounds, the Washington Post adds, because the government isn't exactly sure just how many BlackBerrys and other devices it owns.

According to the reports, it's certain that workers will have to turn in their electronic devices. What's still uncertain is just how agencies will enforce the rule. One possibility is to require workers to show up Monday morning long enough to drop off the hardware.