Attachment 1 to OPM Director's Memorandum

WASHINGTON, DC, AREA EMERGENCY DISMISSAL OR CLOSURE PROCEDURES

Introduction
OPM's Responsibilities
Agency Responsibilities
Emergencies Before the Workday Begins
Emergencies During Normal Work Hours

Introduction

The following guidelines apply to snow emergencies, severe icing conditions, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, air pollution, power failures, interruption of public transportation, and other situations that prevent significant numbers of employees in the Washington, DC, area from reporting for work on time, or which require agencies to close all or part of their activities.

These procedures apply to all executive agencies (except the U.S. Postal Service) inside the Washington Capital Beltway. Facilities outside the Beltway may prefer to develop their own plans, since they are subject to different emergency and traffic conditions than those inside the Beltway. In unusual situations, however, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may issue guidelines affecting facilities outside the Beltway, as well.

It is essential that Federal agencies in the metropolitan area comply with this area-wide plan and the announced decisions on dismissal or closure. Agencies should avoid independent action, because any change in the work hours of Federal workers in the Washington, DC, area requires careful coordination with municipal and regional officials to minimize disruption of the highway and transit systems.

Agencies that find it necessary to exclude certain offices or activities from this plan should notify OPM of such exemptions and update such notices when necessary. Application of this guidance must be consistent with the provisions of applicable collective bargaining agreements or other controlling policies, authorities, and instructions.

OPM's Responsibilities

1. In the Washington, DC, area, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is the Federal Government's point of contact with municipal governments and regional organizations, such as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (METRO). OPM officials will consult with appropriate municipal and regional officials before making a decision on closure, dismissal, or special leave treatment, and will brief the Director of OPM on highway, transit, and emergency conditions.

2. The Director of OPM will then make a decision on whether to curtail Federal operations. This decision is based on the need to keep Federal operations functioning as normally as possible, and on concern for the safety of Federal employees.

3. We will notify the Personnel Director of each agency of any decision to close Federal agencies; any announced "unscheduled leave" or "adjusted home departure" policy; or any decision to dismiss Federal employees before the close of the normal workday using the "adjusted work dismissal" policy. Information will be available on our website at http://www.opm.gov (click on the penguin). We request that all agencies making a different decision notify our Office of Communications at (202) 606-1800, FAX (202) 606-2264, or email oc@news.gov.

Agency Responsibilities

1. At least annually, agencies should provide written procedures for emergency dismissal or closure to employees working in the Washington, DC, area. The notice should tell employees how they will be notified, and include the text of the media announcements to be used and a detailed explanation of their meaning. The notice also should explain that if an "unscheduled leave" policy is announced, employees may request to use annual leave, leave without pay, and/or previously earned compensatory time off.

2. At least annually, agencies should identify "emergency" personnel and notify them in writing that they are designated as "emergency employees." The term "emergency employee" is used to designate those employees who must report for work in emergency situations. The notice should include the requirement that emergency employees report for, or remain at work in emergency situations, and an explanation that dismissal or closure announcements do not apply to them unless they are instructed otherwise. If an agency determines that a situation requires nonemergency employees to report for, or remain at work during an emergency, the agency should establish a procedure for notifying them individually.

3. Agencies are responsible for determining closure, dismissal, and leave policies for employees on shift work and alternative work schedules (i.e., flexible or compressed work schedules) and for informing employees of these policies.

4. Occasionally in emergency situations, individual employees may face special family situations (e.g., when employees are expected to report for work on time, but the schools open late or are closed). The Office of Personnel Management will not provide the media with an announcement to cover these situations. Agencies should notify employees of procedures to be followed when this occurs, and should be as flexible and understanding as possible in approving leave in these situations.

Emergencies Before the Workday Begins

The Office of Personnel Management will provide one of the following five announcements to the media when an emergency occurs before the workday begins:

Emergencies During Normal Work Hours

When OPM authorizes an "adjusted work dismissal," employees should be dismissed relative to their normal departure times from work. For example, if a 3-hour early dismissal is announced as a result of a snowstorm or hurricane, workers who normally leave their offices at 5:00 p.m. would be authorized to leave at 2:00 p.m. Supervisors should exempt individual employees from authorized dismissal times under this policy only to avoid hardships (e.g., when younger children are released early from school and no alternative forms of child care are available to the employee). When a supervisor exempts an individual employee from authorized dismissal times, the agency should not charge leave.

How is leave handled when an "adjusted work dismissal" is authorized?

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Last Modified: 3:38:05 PM on Wednesday, August 20, 2003