The following guidelines apply to 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, including adverse weather conditions (snow emergencies, severe icing conditions, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes), air pollution, disruption of power and/or water, interruption of public transportation, and other emergency situations.

These procedures apply to employees (including employees telecommuting from an alternative worksite) in all executive agencies located inside the Washington Capital Beltway. These procedures do not apply to employees of the U.S. Postal Service, the government of the District of Columbia, or private sector entities, including contractors. 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.

1. In the Washington, DC, area, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is the Federal Governments 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 human resources directors 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. We request that all agencies making a different decision notify our Office of Communications at (202) 606-1800, FAX (202) 606-2264, or email news@opm.gov.

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 must contact their agencies to request annual leave, leave without pay, and/or the use of previously earned compensatory time off or credit hours under an alternative work schedule.
   
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 employees not designated as "emergency 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.

The Office of Personnel Management will provide one of the following five announcements to the media when an emergency occurs before the workday begins. (For additional guidance on excused absence, see the paragraph following this table.)

Excused AbsenceAgencies may excuse an employee without loss of pay or charge to leave (i.e., grant a reasonable amount of excused absence) if the employee is unavoidably delayed in arriving for work. Factors such as distance, availability of transportation, the need to make alternative child care arrangements, and the success of other employees in similar situations should be considered in determining the amount of excused absence to grant. However, employees have no entitlement to excused absence. Agencies must notify employees of the procedures to be followed in this situation.

When an emergency situation occurs during normal work hours, OPM may announce that Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are operating under an "ADJUSTED WORK DISMISSAL" policy. When this announcement is made, employees should be dismissed relative to their normal departure times from work. For example, if a 3-hour "ADJUSTED WORK DISMISSAL" policy is announced, workers who normally leave their offices at

5:00 p.m. would be authorized to leave at 2:00 p.m. (For additional guidance on excused absence, see the paragraph following the table below.)

Excused AbsenceAgencies may excuse an employee without loss of pay or charge to leave (i.e., grant a reasonable amount of excused absence) to avoid hardships. For example, excused absence may be granted to employees who need to leave before official announcement of an "Adjusted Work Dismissal" policy or before the employees authorized time of dismissal because younger children are released from school/child care centers earlier than the announced dismissal time and no alternative forms of child care are available. However, employees have no entitlement to excused absence. Agencies must notify employees of the procedures to be followed in these situations.

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Web page updated 12 September 2001