OPM has sent a memo to agencies (available at www.chcoc.gov) ordering them to send it draft policies to carry out terms of an April 18, 2012, presidential memo, "Establishing Policies for Addressing Domestic Violence in the Federal Workforce" stating that it is the policy of the government to promote the health and safety of its employees by acting to prevent the impact of domestic violence in the workplace, and by providing support and assistance to federal employees whose working lives are affected by such violence.
The draft policies are to be submitted to OPM within four months, and within six months afterward they are to be in final form.
The memo contains guidance, based on recommendations of an interagency working group formed in the wake of the presidential memo.
It says, for example that various types of workplace flexibilities are to be made available to an employee when the employee and/or the employee’s family member(s) are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. This includes annual or sick leave, advanced leave of either type, use of compensatory time off, and various forms of unpaid leave. When the need for time off is foreseeable, an employee must provide reasonable advance notice to the agency.
Employees are not required to provide personal details in their requests for leave. However, employees are required to provide enough information in their leave requests so their supervisors know which type of leave is appropriate. An agency is not required to ask for verification or proof of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, but it may accept the employee’s credible statement as verification.
An employee on an approved flexible work schedule may adjust his or her work schedule, such as reporting times and work hours, to accommodate events driven by domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking in accordance with agency internal policies and/or collective bargaining agreements.
