DC-Area Federal Offices Closed Thursday Due to Winter Storm
Federal offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area are closed Thursday due to a winter storm in the region.
The Office of Personnel Management made the announcement via Twitter Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, the White House informed the press and photo pools that it was calling a travel and photo lid (end of day) at 8 a.m. this morning due to the winter storm
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were still expected to meet in person for the president’s President’s Daily Brief and COVID-19 briefing.
But the daily press briefing with Press Secretary Jen Psaki will be conducted via phone at 12:30 p.m.
According to the OPM:
Emergency employees and telework employees will continue to work as usual Thursday.
Non-emergency employees generally will be granted weather and safety leave for the number of hours they were scheduled to work. However, weather and safety leave will not be granted to employees who are:
- emergency employees who are required to report for duty;
- telework program participants (with certain narrow exceptions);
- on official travel outside of the duty station;
- on preapproved leave (paid or unpaid) or other paid time off; or
- on an Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) day off or other non-workday.
- Emergency Employees are expected to report to their worksite unless otherwise directed by their agencies.
Telework Employees (i.e., employees who are participating in a telework program, including those who perform telework regularly and those who telework on an ad hoc basis) generally may not receive weather and safety leave. They must account for the entire workday by teleworking, taking unscheduled leave (paid or unpaid) or other paid time off, or a combination, in accordance with law, regulations, agency policies and procedures, and any applicable collective bargaining requirements (as consistent with law).
Leave. In general, an employee on preapproved leave (paid or unpaid) or other paid time off should continue to be charged leave or other paid time off and should not receive weather and safety leave.
