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Office of Personnel Management
The Federal Government's Human Resources Agency

November 22, 2005

MEMORANDUM FOR FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

FROM:

Linda M. Springer
Director

SUBJECT:

Washington, DC, Area Dismissal or Closure Procedures

 

Attached for your information are the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM's) Washington, DC, Area Dismissal or Closure Procedures.

These procedures will apply in 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 (e.g., emergency situations, adverse weather conditions, disruption of power and/or water, or interruption of public transportation or closing of major transportation routes). Federal Executive Boards and Federal Executive Associations have coordinated similar dismissal or closure procedures in other major metropolitan areas.

Emergency Employees

Agencies must designate emergency employees who are critical to agency operations in dismissal or closure situations. In addition, agencies may wish to identify a cadre of mission-critical emergency employees who might be activated to maintain continuity of Government operations during emergencies involving national security, extended emergencies, or other unique situations. Agencies must identify the emergency situations in which mission-critical emergency employees will be expected to report for work.

Status of Government Operations

The Washington, DC, Area Dismissal or Closure Procedures will be followed in the event of disruptions of Government operations. OPM will make announcements to the media as to whether Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are open or closed, or operating under an unscheduled leave policy, a delayed arrival policy, or an early dismissal policy. For more information on OPM's announcements on the status of Government operations, please contact OPM's Office of Communications and Public Liaison on (202) 606-1900.

Communicating Announcements

Announcements on the status of Government operations will be available at http://www.opm.gov/status/index.asp. Recorded messages on operating status also will be provided by OPM's Office of Communications and Public Liaison on (202) 606-1900.

For More Information

For more information, agency Chief Human Capital Officers and/or Human Resources (HR) Directors may contact their assigned OPM Human Capital Officers. For additional information on Federal pay and leave programs and policies, including work scheduling policies, please visit http://www.opm.gov/oca/index.asp. Employees should contact their agency human resources offices for assistance.

cc: Chief Human Capital Officers
Human Resources Directors

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