General

Agencies are authorized to invoke the pandemic provision in the evacuation pay regulations to evacuate an individual or group of employees from the regular worksite (5 CFR 550.409). This provision may be invoked to require an employee without a telework agreement to work from home or another alternative worksite. This provision may also be invoked in connection with employees who have caregiving responsibilities as a result of not being able to obtain the services of a caregiver for COVID-19 reasons. The invocation of the evacuation pay provision would allow the use of a limited amount of excused absence for caregiving responsibilities (OPM’s fact sheet Options for Telework-Eligible Employees with Caregiving Responsibilities).

• Agencies may continue to use the pandemic provision in the evacuation pay regulations as long as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, subject to the 180-day limit.
• If the 180-day period expires, an agency may initiate a new evacuation order for up to another 180 days, since the COVID-19 pandemic persists. An agency may continue to initiate evacuation orders for subsequent periods of up to 180 days each, so long as the pandemic health crisis exists.