Federal employees in the Washington, D.C. metro
area only will have to report to work for three days during the week of Jan. 16.
The Office of Personnel Management confirmed the
plan is for federal workers to be off on inauguration day, Jan. 20.
Acting OPM Director Beth Cobert wrote a memo explaining
that every federal employee around the country will be off on Jan. 16 in
commemoration of Martin Luther King Day.
Additionally,
she said federal employees who work in the “Inauguration Day area,” which is
defined in law as the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s
Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia, and the
cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia, will be off on Jan. 20 as
well.
“The legislative history states that the holiday was established
to allow employees working in the inauguration day area to attend the nearby
inaugural ceremonies and to avoid the traffic problems and work disruptions
that would occur if employees were required to report for duty,” Cobert wrote.
OPM also clarified how telework agreements will work on Jan. 20.
Employees
who are scheduled to telework on inauguration day
at a location within the DC metro area are off that day no matter where their
official worksite is located.
Employees who are scheduled to telework on inauguration day at a location
outside the DC metro area are not on vacation that day, again, no matter where
their worksite is located.
Additionally, agencies are strongly encouraged to let federal
employees telework or work an alternative work schedule the other three days of
the week.
“In addition, federal employees who work in the downtown
Washington, DC, area and its vicinity should expect significant commuting
delays and travel disruptions on Wednesday, January 18 and Thursday, January 19
due to extensive road closures, mass transit changes, motorcades, and the
establishment of security perimeters,” Cobert wrote. “To help alleviate traffic
congestion and minimize distraction to law enforcement and security officials,
the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is urging agencies to permit
employees to use their workplace flexibility options on Wednesday,
January 18
and Thursday, January 19. Accordingly, OPM strongly encourages agencies to
allow employees to telework to keep the federal government operating while
helping to minimize traffic congestion and support law enforcement efforts
during these events. Employees may also request to use their alternative work
schedule day off, annual leave, leave without pay, previously earned
compensatory time off, and/or earned credit hours under a flexible work
schedule.”
