Federal offices in the Washinbgton, D.C. area were ordered closed to all but emergency work Feb. 18, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
As snow and ice that swept the Midwest earlier in the week reached the nation’s capital, federal buildings have taken the safety precaution of keeping as many employees home as possible.
Under such office closures, federal employees that are approved for telework must continue to do so, while those that cannot telework will be granted weather and safety leave for the day. Some emergency employees may still be required to report into their work locations despite the weather.
This will likely have a lower than usual impact on federal work, because many federal offices are already operating under maximum telework due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and telework programs at several agencies encompass many more employees than they did just one year ago. Still, some work that can only be performed in person will likely be put on hold.
Feds outside of the Washington, D.C. area must check in with their individual agencies to determine whether their offices are also closed for emergency weather conditions.
Jessie Bur covers federal IT and management.
