Washington, D.C. 20530

September 17, 2001

MEMORANDUM FOR BUREAU PERSONNEL OFFICERS

SUBJECT:      Assistance for Federal Employees Affected by the Terrorist Attacks

This provides the attached memorandum to heads of executive departments and agencies from the President concerning excused absence and assistance for Federal employees affected by the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. To assist agencies in implementing the President's policy, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued the attached memorandum.

In response to the disastrous effects of the attacks, agencies are asked to grant excused absence without charge to leave or loss of pay to employees in the affected areas who are prevented from reporting to work, or are faced with a personal emergency because of the terrorist attacks, and who can be spared from their usual jobs. This policy also applies to employees who are needed for emergency law enforcement, relief, or recovery efforts authorized by Federal, State, or other officials with jurisdiction. However, excused absence does not apply to Federal employees who are members of the National Guard or Military Reserves called up to assist. Military leave is appropriate for those employees.

The President also directed OPM to establish an emergency leave transfer program to assist employees affected by this disaster. This program would allow employees in any executive agency to donate unused annual leave for transfer to employees of the same or other agencies who have been adversely affected by the attacks, and who need additional time off from work without having to use their own paid leave.

Components should activate the emergency leave transfer program for their organization by doing the following:

1. Determine whether, and how much, donated leave is needed by affected employees;



2. As appropriate, approve leave donors and/or leave recipients; and



3. Facilitate the distribution of donated annual leave from approved leave donors to approved leave recipients within your organization.

Most affected employees should be granted excused absence for the immediate emergency. The emergency leave transfer program will be in place to assist approved leave recipients as the need for donated leave becomes known. Please notify us as soon as possible if the amount of leave donated by your employees is insufficient to meet the needs of your approved leave recipients. If insufficient leave is available from employees in other components, we will notify OPM of the amount we need. OPM will coordinate a Government-wide transfer of donated annual leave to leave recipients.

Questions may be directed to Margaret Foskey, of the Personnel Staff's Policy Group, on (202) 514-6778. Ms. Foskey also may be reached via e-mail at Margaret.Foskey2@usdoj.gov.

Attachments

cc: Melinda Morgan, JMD HRSAG

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