With inclement weather on the way, OPM has issued a memo reminding agencies to follow its “Washington, D.C., Area Dismissal or Closure Procedures,” in the event of disruptions to government operations.
While the policies outlined in the memo apply specifically to the Washington area, other areas use them as a basis for their own dismissal policies, typically issued by regional Federal Executive Boards.
Agencies should designate and notify those emergency employees, including mission-critical emergency employees, who will be required to report for or remain at work in dismissal or closure situations, and identify what those situations are, the memo said.
It said agencies also should notify telework employees whether they would be required to work at telework sites during a disruption of government operations and include that in telework agreements.
OPM said it would announce to the media whether federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are open, closed, or operating under an alternative policy in the event of severe weather.
Announcements on the status of government operations will also be posted here:
http://www.opm.gov/status/index.asp.
The procedures are available at:
http://www.opm.gov/oca/COMPMEMO/dismissal.pdf.
