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By: FEDweek StaffDoD has updated its policies regarding dismissing employees from work with pay for severe weather or other safety-related reasons, reflecting policies set by OPM it its own revisions to rules and guidance on those issues.
The revised DoD Instruction 1400.25 says that it is “within the administrative authority of a commander or head of activity to close all or part of an activity and to grant weather and safety leave to non-emergency DoD employees” during a closure for those reasons. However, group dismissals “should be rare and authorized only when conditions are severe or normal operations would be significantly disrupted” and normally should not exceed three consecutive work days.
“In geographical areas where the conditions affect more than one defense activity, the commander or head of activity employing the largest number of civilian employees will make the determination whether an emergency exists and assess the appropriateness of authorizing administrative dismissal of non-emergency employees,” it says. DoD activities occupying non-DoD controlled space “should coordinate with Federal Executive Boards or similar organizations of federal officials in the area for guidance regarding administrative dismissals.”
Further, the DoD policy requires that: telework-ready employees who are able to perform work at an approved telework site must telework the entire workday or request leave, or a combination of both; if an employee was on pre-approved annual leave and the emergency impacts the purpose for which the employee had requested the leave, the supervisor may cancel the leave at the employee’s request; if an employee was on pre-approved sick leave for medical appointments and the emergency results in the appointment being cancelled, the employee’s sick leave must be cancelled, but if the employee was on sick leave for illness, the employee remains on sick leave; and employees who were on nonpay status, on travel to an unaffected location or on a day off under an alternative work schedule are not granted paid leave.
