OPM Director John Berry just sent the following memo to all Federal agency Chief Human Capital Officers (HR heads):

As you know, current weather forecasts for tomorrow predict a severe snow storm in the Washington, DC area beginning late in the morning and continuing into Saturday. Out of concern for employee safety and to help alleviate traffic concerns, I strongly encourage you to take the following actions for your non-emergency employees:

• Permit employees at your agencies under a telework agreement to telework tomorrow. This severe weather forecast presents a key opportunity for agencies to test their telework plans in the context of emergency preparedness.

• Allow employees on alternative work schedules (AWS) to schedule their AWS day off or use credit hours (if available) tomorrow.

• Advise your employees now that OPM will be announcing the Government will operate on an unscheduled leave policy tomorrow. For planning purposes, employees should advise their supervisors as soon as possible if they plan to take annual leave, compensatory time off, credit hours, or leave without pay tomorrow.

• Emergency employees are expected to report to or remain at work in dismissal/closure situations unless otherwise directed by their agencies.

• OPM will continue to monitor the storm's progression and will update the operating status on OPM's website as necessary.  See www.opm.gov/status. 

• See "Washington, DC, Area Dismissal or Closure Procedures" (CPM 2009-17, November 20, 2009, at www.chcoc.gov/Transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?TransmittalID=2602) for further information. 

Our mission is to Recruit, Retain and Honor a World-Class Workforce to Serve the American People. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.