Washington, D.C. 20530

September 6, 2005

MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF DEPARTMENT COMPONENTS

I am deeply concerned about the devastating losses suffered by many as a result of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast regions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, including the city of New Orleans. Many parts of the Federal Government have been mobilized to respond to this disaster. The Department is deeply concerned about the health and safety of our employees and their families whose lives are forever changed by Hurricane Katrina.

Retroactive to August 29, 2005, through October 1, 2005, I am delegating to heads of Department components the authority to grant administrative leave as necessary. Components must submit a report to my office on usage of administrative leave by Friday, September 23, 2005, in order to evaluate the need to extend this delegation. The report should contain the name of the employee, the social security number, the duty station, and the amount of administrative leave granted.

If your staff has questions, they may contact Debra M. Tomchek, Director, Human Resources Staff, on (202) 305-4976, or by electronic mail at Debra.M.Tomchek@usdoj.gov.

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