Question
May employees receive hazardous duty pay or environmental differential pay for potential exposure to pandemic influenza?
Answer
No. There is no authority to pay hazardous duty pay (HDP) or environmental differential pay (EDP) for potential exposure to pandemic influenza. HDP for white-collar employees and EDP for Federal Wage System employees is additional pay for job-related exposure to hazards, physical hardships, or working conditions of an unusually severe nature which cannot be eliminated or significantly reduced by preventive measures (e.g., safety equipment, protective clothing). HDP and EDP are not intended to compensate employees for exposure to a safety risk unrelated to their assigned duties.