The list of government agencies that are scaling back telework options is growing all the time.
The Department of Veterans Affairs. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The National Science Foundation. The U.S. Agency for International Development.
Count these high-profile federal entities among those to have recently reduced telework and remote work options on the heels of a Biden administration memo directing federal agencies to refresh work environment plans to “reflect the expectation that agency headquarters and equivalents generally continue to substantially increase meaningful in-person work in federal offices.”
Government organizations haven’t completely cut out telework, though. And another recent memo, this one coming from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), offers a reminder of why continuing to offer telework options in some capacity is critical for public sector employers.
Issued in the wake of Typhoon Mawar, and in preparation for the approaching hurricane season, the OPM memorandum for heads of executive departments and agencies reminds agencies and employees of the range of flexible work options available to assist federal employees affected by severe weather and other emergency situations.
Emergency Options
Noting President Biden’s approval of major disaster declarations in the aftermath of Typhoon Mawar’s impact on the territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands, the memo outlines a number of programs and other options designed to help federal workers affected by natural disasters.
For example, weather and safety leave is a form of paid time off “that is typically authorized when OPM or an agency issues an operating status announcement related to the health and safety of the workforce,” according to the memo.
Under OPM’s weather and safety leave regulations, an agency may grant weather and safety leave when it has determined that employees cannot travel safely to, or perform work at, their normal worksite, a telework site or other approved location because of severe weather or another emergency situation.
There are, however, special considerations when contemplating weather and safety leave for teleworking employees, the memo pointed out. Specifically, an agency will not typically be able to offer weather and safety leave to a teleworker unless that employee is prevented from safely traveling to or working at their approved telework site during severe weather or other emergency situations.
OPM may also establish an emergency leave transfer program (ELTP) in the event of a major disaster or emergency, as declared by the President, that results in severe adverse effects for a significant number of employees. Per this program, federal employees are permitted to donate annual leave to employees—co-workers or employees at other agencies—who have been adversely affected, or have family members who have been adversely affected, by the disaster or emergency.
In addition, executive agencies may authorize advance payments, continuation of pay and payments for travel and subsistence expenses to employees who have been ordered to evacuate an area because of imminent danger to their lives as a result of severe weather conditions or other emergencies, according to the memo, which states that use of such payments is discretionary, and the head of an agency or a designated official must determine whether an employee was officially ordered or authorized to evacuate.
Of course, enabling employees to telework remains a common solution in the aftermath of emergency scenarios, with the memo noting that weather and safety leave regulations emphasize the importance of telework in allowing employees to continue working during severe weather or other emergency situations.
“Telework continues to play a significant role during emergency situations by enabling a greater number of federal employees to work and supporting continuity of operations, the memo reads, advising agencies to refer to OPM’s telework guidance for information on telework policies. “Agencies should continue to incorporate telework into their agency emergency planning.”
04 August 2023
Category
HR News Article