HRDG 4630 - Absence and Leave - Section D - Subsection b

Last Modified: June 25, 2024

Subchapter 4630 - Absence and Leave
Section D - Administrative Leave and Excused Absence
Subsection b - Emergencies (Weather and Other)

Who Are Emergency Employees?
Weather and Safety Leave
Updated 07/22 Emergency Dismissal and Closure Procedures
Field Emergency Dismissal and Closure Procedures
Dismissing Employees for Local Emergencies During Normal Work Hours
Reporting Employees' Status When the Office is Closed for Less Than 1 Workday
Civil Defense Activities
Participation in Emergency Rescue or Protective Work
Employee Personal Emergency Resulting from a Public Emergency

NOTE: The 01/15 and 05/18 updates do not apply to bargaining unit members until bargaining obligations have been met.

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Who Are Emergency Employees?

Emergency employees occupy critical positions that may be vital to public health, safety, welfare, national defense, or the operation of essential facilities or functions. Managers/supervisors must notify employees who meet this definition that they are designated as emergency employees. The notification must:

Be done at least once per year,
Be in writing,
State that emergency employees are required to report for work in emergency situations, and
State that dismissal or closure announcements do not apply to emergency employees unless they are specifically instructed otherwise

Programs may also identify a cadre of "mission-critical" emergency employees (MCEE) who may be called to work during extended emergencies, emergencies dealing with national security, or other unique situations. MCEEs must be provided with the following information:

The emergency situations in which they will be expected to report for work;
Where they are expected to report to work - - either at their regular worksite or an alternative worksite; and
That they are to remain in contact with their Programs at all times during any closure situation.

Programs may wish to issue communications and other equipment to MCEEs to facilitate contact in these situations.

Weather and Safety Leave

The Administrative Leave Act of 2016 created three (3) new categories of statutorily authorized paid leave. One of those categories is “weather and safety leave” (WSL) which is addressed here. (Administrative Leave Act of 2016, enacted under Section 1138 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2017 [PL 114-328, 130 Stat. 2000, Dec 23, 2016], 5 USC 6329[c].)

There is no cap on the number of hours of “weather and safety leave” that may be granted in a calendar year. Weather and safety leave may only be granted if an employee is prevented from safely traveling to or safely performing work at an approved location due to:

An act of God;
A terrorist attack; or
Another condition which prevents an employee or group of employees from safely traveling to or safely performing work at an approved location.

The following must be adhered to with this category of administrative leave:

This leave does not apply to and may not be granted due to mass transit / commuting problems unrelated to safety matters.
When a major event is reasonably anticipated, employees may not change the regularly scheduled day off or scheduled leave in order to receive this leave.
If a significant event or condition is predicted / reasonably anticipated, all teleworkers are to be prepared to telework.
- Example 1: If a Federal facility is closed prior to the start of the workday in preparation for a severe hurricane or other pending disaster based on safety considerations, e.g., evacuation of an area, then a telework employee who is able to telework is expected to do so.
- Example 2: If a facility has an early dismissal due to an impending severe hurricane, the employees on site will be granted weather/safety leave.Telework participants will be granted Weather and Safety Leave (WSL) for the time needed to commute home. Once at home a teleworker is expected to telework or request leave from the time of arrival at home to the end of the regularly scheduled tour of duty for that workday. Scheduled teleworkers will continue to work or request leave. Non-telework participants will be granted WSL from the time of early dismissal to the end of the regularly scheduled tour of duty.
Teleworkers may only be granted weather and safety leave when management determines it’s needed in order for the teleworker to safely travel to or perform work at an approved location. It will be granted sparingly and in unusual circumstances such as noted below.
- Example 1: It may be appropriate if weather-related damage makes occupying the home (telework site) unsafe or there is a loss of power at the telework site and the office is closed.
- Example 2: If an area not prone to earthquakes suddenly experiences one causing Federal agencies in the area to close prior to the start of the business day, then a supervisor may grant weather and safety leave to a teleworker who is not prepared to telework.
- Example 3: The office building is unexpectedly closed prior to the start of the workday due to fire or flood and a teleworker is not prepared to telework, then s/he may be granted weather and safety leave.

In the examples above, a regularly scheduled teleworker is expected to be prepared to telework or to take leave.

Emergency Dismissal and Closure Procedures

Updated 07/22

The guidelines in the chart below apply to Riverdale/Washington, D.C. metro area non-emergency employees. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is the agency with the authority to make these announcements for the Riverdale/Washington, D.C. area. Field units are to follow their local OPM or Federal Executive Board (FEB) announcements. If there is no OPM or FEB then the decision-making process is as described in the Field Emergency Dismissal and Closure Procedures section. The announcements below are to be used by all field units.

MRP Teleworkers, regardless of type of agreement, are expected to be prepared to telework. Only in rare, occasional circumstances will “weather and safety leave” be granted to a teleworker who is unprepared or unable to telework. All instances where this type of leave is granted will be documented on the employee’s T&A.

During emergency situations, management will determine and advise emergency employees if they are needed at the worksite or may perform duties at an approved telework location.

When the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) makes any of the announcements found below, in the Riverdale/Washington DC area, emergency employees are still expected to report for work on time. On an annual basis, Programs must follow the procedures found in the “Who Are Emergency Employees?” section to notify employees of their status and responsibilities in emergency situations.

If the announcement says:

Then:

For non-emergency employees, this means that:

Federal offices are OPEN. Employees are expected to report to their worksite on time or begin telework on time.

Employees, including those on telework, are expected to report as scheduled.
Note: Official announcements are rarely made when no changes are required in Federal operations.

Absences will be charged to appropriate leave category, as requested by employee and approved by the supervisor (annual leave, LWOP, earned compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay, compensatory time off for travel, or credit hours, etc.).

Federal offices are OPEN with the option for UNSCHEDULED LEAVE or UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK

Agencies will open on time.
Emergency employees must report for work on time unless directed otherwise by their supervisor.
Nonemergency employees may either TELEWORK or take UNSCHEDULE leave.

UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK means employees:

Already scheduled to telework must continue to telework until the end of their scheduled tour, or request unscheduled leave.
Not scheduled to telework may opt to do so as long as the employee has a telework agreement in place. These employees must notify their supervisors of their intent.

UNSCHEDULE LEAVE means employees:

Must notify their supervisors of their intent to use leave,
May substitute an Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) day off for the unscheduled leave day;
May use scheduling flexibilities during the remainder of the pay period to make up time taken as unscheduled leave, or
Request sick leave, if appropriate.

Absences will be charged to annual leave, earned compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay, earned compensatory time off for travel, earned credit hours, or leave without pay (LWOP).

Employees must notify their supervisor of their intent to use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework.

Federal offices are OPEN under a XX - HOUR DELAYED ARRIVAL and employees have the option forUNSCHEDULED LEAVE or UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK

Emergency employees must report for work on time unless directed otherwise by their supervisor.
Nonemergency employees may either delay their arrival to work by XX hours, use UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK or take UNSCHEDULE leave.

XX HOUR DELAYED ARRIVAL means employees:

Must arrive at work no more than XX hours later than their normal arrival time.
Arriving later than the XX hours, must request leave to cover the excess time away from the office.

UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK means employees:

Already scheduled to telework must continue to telework until the end of their scheduled tour, or request unscheduled leave.
Not scheduled to telework may opt to do so as long as the employee has a telework agreement in place. These employees must notify their supervisors of their intent and begin telework on time.

UNSCHEDULE LEAVE means employees:

Must notify their supervisors of their intent to use leave;
May substitute an Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) day off for the unscheduled leave day;
May use scheduling flexibilities during the remainder of the pay period to make up time taken as unscheduled leave, or
May request sick leave, if appropriate.

The delayed arrival is charged toWeather and Safety Leave (WSL), TC 66, on the T&A. For example, with a 2 hour delayed arrival, if your employee normally begins work at 8 am, then s/he must arrive by 10 am. If s/he arrives at 9 am, than s/he is entitled to 1 hour of WSL. If s/he arrives at 9:45 am, then s/he is entitled to 1 hour 45 minutes of WSL.

Employees arriving later than the XX hours permitted must request leave to cover the excess time away from the office. For example, with a 2 hour delayed arrival, if the employee's regularly scheduled tour was to start at 7 am, this meant that s/he was to report by 9 am. If the employee was unable to report until 9:30 am then the T&A must reflect 2 hours WSL (from 7am - 9am) and 1/2 hour of leave.

Absences will be charged to annual leave, earned compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay, earned compensatory time off for travel, earned credit hours, or leave without pay (LWOP).

Employees must notify their supervisor of their intent to use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework.

Teleworkers are not entitled to WSL unless a qualified exception exists as described in the above section, “Weather and Safety Leave.”

Employees on pre-approved leave for the entire workday must be charged leave. Employees with telework agreements may request to telework in lieu of a charge to leave.

Federal offices are OPEN - Delayed Arrival - Employees Must Report to their Office No Later Than XX:XX. Employees Have the Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework.

Emergency employees must report for work on time unless directed otherwise by their supervisor.

Nonemergency employees must arrive at their offices by the announced opening time or employees may use UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK or take UNSCHEDULE leave.
This means employees:

Must arrive to the office by the indicated time
Arriving later than the indicated time, must request leave to cover the excess time away from the office.

UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK means employees:

Already scheduled to telework must begin to telework on time or request unscheduled leave.
Not scheduled to telework may opt to do so as long as the employee has a telework agreement in place. These employees must notify their supervisors of their intent.

UNSCHEDULE LEAVE means employees:

Must notify their supervisors of their intent to use leave;
May substitute an Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) day off for the unscheduled leave day;
May use scheduling flexibilities during the remainder of the pay period to make up time taken as unscheduled leave, or
May request sick leave, if appropriate.

The delayed arrival is charged to WSL, TC 66, on the T&A. For example, if OPM announces that all employees must report to their office by 11 am then non-emergency employees must arrive by 11:00 a.m. and will receive WSL (TC 66) until 11:00 a.m.

Employees arriving later than the designated arrival time must request leave to cover the excess time away from the office.

Absences will be charged to annual leave, earned compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay, earned compensatory time off for travel, earned credit hours, or leave without pay (LWOP).

Employees must notify their supervisor of their intent to use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework.

Employees choosing to telework (scheduled or unscheduled) are not entitled to WSL.

Employees on pre-approved leave for the entire workday must be charged leave.

Federal offices are OPEN for business as usual under a XX- HOUR STAGGERED EARLY DEPARTURE

Emergency employees must remain at work unless directed otherwise by their supervisor.
Non-emergency employees may be dismissed from their worksite XX hours early based on their regularly scheduled tour for the day or take UNSCHEDULED leave to depart prior to their departure time.

XX hours STAGGERED EARLY DEPARTURE means employees:

May be dismissed from their worksite XX hours early based on their regularly scheduled tour of duty for the day. For example an announced 3-hour early departure means an employee who is regularly scheduled to work until 5:00 p.m., is authorized to leave at 2 p.m.
Will be granted WSL (TC 66) for the hours remaining in their work day.
Who depart prior to their staggered early departure time will be charged leave and will not be granted administrative leave.

Employees with telework agreements will receive WSL for the amount of time needed to commute home. Once employees arrive home they are expected to telework until the end of the regularly scheduled tour of duty for the day or request unscheduled leave for the remainder of the regularly scheduled work day or a combination of both.

Employees already scheduled to TELEWORK must continue to telework until the end of their scheduled tour, or request unscheduled leave.

UNSCHEDULED LEAVE means employees:

Must notify their supervisors of their intent to use leave;
May substitute an Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) day off for the unscheduled leave day;
May use scheduling flexibilities during the remainder of the pay period to make up time taken as unscheduled leave, or
May request sick leave, if appropriate.

Absences will be charged to the appropriate leave category, i.e., annual leave, earned compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay, earned compensatory time off for travel, earned credit hours, or leave without pay.

Employees on pre-approved leave for the entire workday or those who were granted unscheduled leave before an early departure policy is announced must be charged leave for the entire workday or remainder of the workday, as applicable. These employees may not be granted WSL (TC 66).

Employees on leave and not scheduled to return to work must be charged leave.

Employees on leave, who are scheduled to return to work after the applicable departure time, must be granted administrative leave beginning at the time he or she was scheduled to return from leave.

Employees who have pre-approved leave (e.g., for a dental appointment which is not cancelled by the doctor’s office due to the weather) that starts after their staggered departure time may only be granted WSL from the staggered departure time to the start of the pre-approved leave. These employees remain on leave. If the doctor’s office cancels the appointment then a telework employee may be granted WSL for the commute time and telework for the remainder of the regularly scheduled work day or take leave.

Teleworkers who, due to weather & traffic conditions, have a commute that goes beyond the end of the regularly scheduled tour of duty for the day are not required to telework upon arriving home. These employees are granted WSL from the time of dismissal until the end of the regularly scheduled tour of duty.

Federal offices are OPEN for business as usual under a XX- HOUR STAGGERED EARLY DEPARTURE - EMPLOYEES MUST DEPART NO LATER THAN XX:XX AT WHICH TIME FEDERAL OFFICES ARE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

Emergency employees must remain at work unless directed otherwise by their supervisor.
Non-emergency employees may be dismissed from their worksite XX hours early based on their regularly scheduled tour for the day. Employees must be out of their offices by the final departure time.

XX hours STAGGERED EARLY DEPARTURE means employees:

Will be dismissed from their worksite XX hours early based on their regularly scheduled tour of duty for the day. For example, an announced 3-hour early departure means an employee who is regularly scheduled to work until 5 p.m., is authorized to leave at 2 p.m.
Whose staggered departure time is later than the final departure time must depart at the final departure time. For example, if a 3 hour staggered dismissal with a final departure time of 2 p.m. is announced, employees with a staggered departure time of 3p.m. must leave their offices by the 2 p.m. final departure time. These employees are granted administrative leave from 2 p.m. until the end of their regularly scheduled tour for the day.
Will be granted WSL (TC 66) for the hours remaining in their work day.
Who depart prior to their staggered early departure time or the final departure time will be charged leave and will not be granted WSL.

Employees already scheduled to TELEWORK must continue to telework until the end of their scheduled tour, or request unscheduled leave.

UNSCHEDULE LEAVE means employees:

Must notify their supervisors of their intent to use leave;
May substitute an Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) day off for the unscheduled leave day;
May use scheduling flexibilities during the remainder of the pay period to make up time taken as unscheduled leave, or
May request sick leave, if appropriate.

Employees on leave and not scheduled to return to work must be charged leave.

Employees on leave, who are scheduled to return to work after the applicable departure time, must be granted WSL (TC 66)beginning at the time he or she was scheduled to return from leave.

IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE - FEDERAL OFFICES ARE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

Emergency employees must remain at work unless directed otherwise by their supervisor.
Non-emergency employees must depart immediately from their office. Employees will be granted WSL for the number of hours remaining in their regularly scheduled tour of duty. This excludes employees who:

Leave before an immediate departure policy is announced. These employees will be charged leave from the time they left until the end of their regularly scheduled tour of duty.
Are on official travel outside of the affected region,
Are on leave without pay, or
Are on their alternative work schedule (AWS) day off.

Employees already scheduled to telework continue to telework or may take unscheduled leave.

Employees scheduled to return from leave after an immediate departure is announced must be charged leave for the period prior to the immediate departure and then granted WSL for the remainder of the workday following the immediate departure time.

Absences will be charged to the appropriate leave category, i.e., annual leave, earned compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay, earned compensatory time off for travel or earned credit hours.

Federal offices are CLOSED. Emergency and Telework-Ready Employees Must Follow Their Agency’s Policies

Updated 07/22

Emergency employees must report for work on time unless directed otherwise by their supervisor.

Non-emergency employees with approved telework agreements, regularly scheduled and situational (ad hoc) are required to telework.

Non-emergency employees without telework agreements will be granted administrative leave for the number of hours they are regularly scheduled to work.

The following chart is to be used for nonemergency employees on preapproved leave:

Nonemergency employees . . .	With telework agreements . . .	Without telework agreements . . .
On pre-approved sick leave due to illness,	Will continue to be charged sick leave.	Will continue to be charged sick leave.
Whose pre-approved sick leave is cancelled because the medical appointment is cancelled,*	May choose to telework or request another form of leave.	Will be granted administrative leave (TC 66) for the number of hours regularly scheduled to work.
On pre-approved leave, e.g., annual leave, credit hours, compensatory time off,	May choose to telework or remain on leave.	Will continue to be charged leave.

Employees may use annual leave or other available time off for activities such as clearing snow on sidewalks or basement water removal. “Weather & safety leave” may only be granted if the supervisor determines that such leave is necessary to ensure that an employee can safely travel to or perform work at an approved location, including the telework site. Each decision must be documented on the T&A.

USDA policy does permit teleworking when dependents are present in the home. However, employees may not engage in direct dependent care activities while simultaneously performing official duties. Time taking care of dependents is not paid time. Employees may utilize work scheduling flexibilities and earned time off.

Employees on leave without pay, leave without pay for military duty, workers' compensation, suspension, or in another nonpay status are not granted administrative leave.

Telework eligible employees must notify their supervisor of their intent to Telework from home on a non-telework day.

Employees on alternative work schedules are not entitled to another AWS day off in lieu of the workday on which the agency is closed.

* Note: Because the medical appointment is cancelled, the legal basis for the sick leave has been eliminated and the sick leave must be cancelled.

Federal Offices are underSHELTER-IN-PLACE (SIP) and are CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

Employees must:

Find shelter as instructed in their Program’s emergency procedures.
Remain in the designated area until notified that they may return to their office or leave the worksite.

Employees prevented from entering the worksite must be granted administrative leave for the duration of the announcement.

Employees already scheduled to telework must continue working unless affected by the SIP emergency or otherwise directed by their Program.

Note: SIP procedures are conducted when employees (and visitors) must remain in the office or take immediate shelter in a readily accessible interior location to protect themselves. SIP has been added to the operating status announcement as an additional tool to help protect the MRP workforce during certain severe weather events, e.g., tornadoes, or emergencies, such as danger from exposure to outside contaminants in the event of a release into the atmosphere of hazardous materials such as radiological, biological, or chemical contaminants. Employees will be paid base pay through the end of their regularly scheduled tour of duty for SIP situations occurring during regular working hours. Employees placed in official “standby duty” status during SIP situations that occur after duty hours may be entitled to premium pay.

An OPM SIP announcement is not intended to supersede any Agency-specific SIP-type plans or procedures and Agencies retain the authority to act on their own without an OPM SIP announcement as circumstances dictate.

The Comptroller General has ruled that periods of time during which an employee is required to remain at a work location are not considered compensable hours of work if the employee is detained for reasons that are not under the control of the agency or are not related to work requirements. (See Comptroller General opinion B-187181, October 17, 1977.)

FieldEmergency Dismissal and Closure Procedures

During emergency situations, field offices:

With local Federal Executive Boards (FEBs) or Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offices must follow the dismissal or closures procedures of the FEB or OPM office.
Without a local FEB or OPM office, are to use the Emergency Dismissal and Closure Procedures outlined above and apply it to their particular situation. The highest ranking official at the facility is delegated the authority to make weather and/or emergency related decisions. In addition, when making dismissal or closure decisions:
- MRP Programs co-located with other USDA offices must contact those offices and make a joint USDA decision. Disagreements between local managers will be referred to the Deputy Administrator of MRPBS for resolution. If resolution cannot be reached, the Deputy Administrators may contact the Director, Office of Human Resources Management, USDA, for final resolution.
- MRP Programs that are not co-located are to use official public announcements by local, State, or Federal authorities that travel is to be avoided.
- The designated MRP official must arrange for an announcement on local radio stations and/or other appropriate available media, if not already arranged by another Federal authority. If a public announcement is not possible, the designated official may determine retroactively that employees who could not report for duty because of the emergency will be granted administrative leave.

Dismissing Employees for Local Emergencies During Normal Work Hours

When local emergency conditions develop during the work day, for example, if work operations are interrupted due to building systems malfunctioning causing severe heat or cold which prevents employees from working and correction of the situation is not anticipated within 4 hours of the remainder of the workday, then early dismissal and the granting of administrative leave to affected employees may be appropriate. Use the table below for such situations.

Location:

Authorizing official and responsibilities:

South Building or other DC location
Rivderdale Complex

The USDA will make the determination and notify management and employees of the early dismissal; or
The Director, Marketing and Regulatory Programs Human Resources Division (MRPHRD) will make the determination and notify appropriate Agency officials.

Field offices

Programs will designate officials who will:

Work with other co-located USDA offices to make a joint decision. Disagreements between local managers will be referred to the Deputy Administrator of MRPBS for resolution.
Decide on the appropriate dismissal strategy for emergencies affecting the particular location.

Reporting Employees' Status when the Office is Closed for Less than 1 Workday

IF AN EMPLOYEE:	THEN THE EMPLOYEE WILL BE REPORTED:
IF AN EMPLOYEE:	On Administrative Leave	On Other Leave	In Duty Status	In Nonduty Status
1. Is notified in advance that his/her work cannot be suspended or interrupted during an emergency when other employees are excused and: a. He/she works during the excused period b. He/she does not work during the excused period Contact your servicing Leave and Compensation Specialist to determine the form of leave that must be charged based on your particular circumstance(s).	X	X	X (1)
2. Is on other scheduled leave at the time notice is given excusing employees from reporting, or dismissing them early, and: a. He/she is expected to return to duty before the end of his/her workday b. He/she is not expected to return to duty before the end of his/her workday	X (3)	X (4) X (2)
3. Is on other scheduled leave the day before, during, and the day after the day on which other employees were excused		X
4. Reports for duty, but goes on other leave before time official notice is received excusing employees or before the time set for his/her dismissal		X (2)
5. Is on duty at the time notice of early dismissal is received, but goes on other leave between the time of the notice and time of early dismissal		X (4)
6. Is not on scheduled leave but has not reported for duty at the time of early dismissal	X (6)
7. Is intermittent and works during the excused period			X (1)
8. Is intermittent and does not report for duty on a day when employees generally are excused from reporting				X
9. Is intermittent on duty at the time of early dismissal and would otherwise have worked until the end of the workday	X (3) X (5)
10. Is on duty at the time of early dismissal and is not excluded under one of the above conditions	X

(1) Employees who work during periods of administrative leave (TC 66) will receive only their basic rate of pay for nonovertime hours worked.

(2) Other leave will be charged from the time scheduled leave began to the end of the workday.

(3) Contact the leave policy specialist, MRPHR, for further guidance on administrative leave (TC 66).

(4) Other leave will be charged from the time scheduled leave began to time of dismissal.

(5) Administrative leave (TC 66) for intermittent employees is generally applicable in emergency dismissals. Contact the leave policy specialist, Policy Branch,
MRPHR, for further guidance.

(6) Administrative leave (TC 66) may be appropriate for part or all of this period. Contact the leave policy specialist, MRPHR, for further guidance.

Civil Defense Activities

Employees assigned to State or local civil defense activities in pre-emergency training programs and test exercises may be granted up to 40 hours of excused absence per calendar year for participation in such activities.

Participation in Emergency Rescue or Protective Work

During severe weather or other emergency situations various Federal, State or other officials with jurisdiction (e.g., local government not the Red Cross) may request that MRP employees assist in emergency law enforcement, relief, or clean-up efforts. In such situations, supervisors may grant employees administrative leave (TC 66) to participate in a civilian capacity during official duty hours. Emergency situations include, but are not limited to:

Extreme weather conditions;
Civil disturbances; or
Disasters such as fire, flood, or other natural phenomena.

When granting an administrative leave (TC 66), supervisors are responsible for:

determining that the absence is/was for an emergency,
documenting on the T&A what Agency (Federal, State or other official with jurisdiction) requested the employee's assistance and
determining that granting the employee administrative leave (TC 66) is in the interest of the public welfare.

Note: This policy does not apply to Federal employees who are members of the National Guard or Reserves who are called up to assist in disaster relief and recovery efforts, since they are entitled to military leave under 5 USC 6323 (b).

Reference: OPM, CPM 2005-18, Handbook on Pay and Leave Benefits for Federal Employees Affected by Severe Weather Emergencies or Other Emergency Situations, dated September 6, 2005.

Employee Personal Emergency Resulting from a Public Emergency

Programs may grant up to 40 hours of administrative leave (TC 66) to employees who:

Are faced with personal emergencies as a result of a public emergency, and
Can be spared from their usual responsibilities.

Programs must contact HRD in order to obtain approval to grant additional administrative leave if unusual circumstances occur due to the scope and severity of the public emergency. Follow the chart below to obtain approval:

Step

Who?

Does what?

Program

Prepares a written justification describing:
- The number of hours of administrative leave needed.
- The number of affected employees.
- The unusual circumstance(s) warranting the additional time off.
Submits the justification to the HR Policy Branch.

HR Policy Branch

Prepares a written request to the Director, OHRM, for up to an additional 40 hours of administrative leave.
Notifies the Program and HRO-LCT of OHRM's response.

Note: Requests for more than a total of 80 hours of administrative leave are approved by the Assistant Secretary for Administration, through the Director, OHRM.

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