Agencies may grant weather and safety leave when an agency has determined that employees cannot safely travel. Image: Mark Van Scyoc/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffIn the wake of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, OPM has sent a reminder to agencies of personnel flexibilities available for emergency situations, including noting that leave policies “emphasize the importance of telework in allowing employees to continue working during severe weather or other emergency situations.”
Agencies may grant weather and safety leave when an agency has determined that employees cannot safely travel to, or perform work at, their normal worksite or other approved location including a telework site, it says. The memo (at chcoc.gov)also addresses topics evacuation payments, advance leave and emergency leave transfer programs and directs agencies to OPM’s handbook on special pay, hiring and other authorities that may be invoked in emergency situations.
In a separate memo, OPM authorized agencies to use one of those hiring authorities, for temporary appointments of up to one year for positions directly involved with the recovery and relief efforts associated with the two recent hurricanes. Such appointments, under excepted service Schedule A, may be extended up to one additional year.
Meanwhile, OPM extended previous paid leave authorities for employees and certain family members getting vaccinated against the Coronavirus to the newer vaccine designed to be more effective against the Omicron variant.
“Agencies must grant leave-eligible employees up to 4 hours of administrative leave to receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine (as well as primary series doses, which remain available to unvaccinated individuals). The administrative leave will cover the time it takes to travel to the vaccination site, receive the COVID-19 vaccine dose, and return to work,” it says.
That policy also applies to employees accompanying family members who meet the definition of that term in other leave policies. In addition, the policy allowing for up to two workdays of administrative leave for an employee has an adverse reaction to a vaccination dose also applies to the new vaccine.
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