The Trump administration is escalating its response to the coronavirus, urging federal agencies to allow employees most at risk to work from home or take time off.
“All Federal Executive Branch departments and agencies are encouraged to maximize telework flexibilities to eligible workers within those populations” that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified as being at risk for serious complications from the coronavirus, acting director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought wrote in a letter issued late Thursday.
“Agencies do not need to require certification by a medical professional and may accept self-identification by employees that they are in one of these populations,” the memo read.
The guidance includes older adults, those with diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, and pregnant women. For employees who are unable to work from home or travel safely, the letter suggests granting leave “for safety reasons.”
Extending the measure to a broader pool of employees to accommodate state and local responses, such as school closures, or in areas at risk of community spread, should be considered, the letter read.
In spite of OMB’s guidance, it is up to individual agencies to set their own telework policies and to determine who is eligible. Employees, unions, and lawmakers have expressed frustration at this.
“When the Super Bowl was in Atlanta, the entire regional office teleworked for over a week to ease congestion and enhance security,” one Social Security Administration employee told Federal News Network. “It also teleworked for the NCAA football championship game for the same reasons. Why will the agency allow telework for the Super Bowl but not when potential lives are on the line?”
Last week, eight Democratic senators wrote a letter to OMB criticizing earlier guidance for not going far enough to expand opportunities for telework and to assure employees who contract the virus that they would be protected from “income insecurity, disciplinary action, or any other adverse employment actions.
“We worry that OPM’s guidance to date does not demonstrate to our nation’s hardworking public servants that the federal government is prioritizing their health, well-being and economic security,” the letter read.
The White House said on Thursday that staff at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. were adhering to the CDC’s guidance on travel and public gatherings, “which includes staying home if you feel ill, as well as frequent hand-washing.” Telework is being considered for some lower- to midlevel employees, according to reports.
In January, the White House called on federal agencies to pull back on telework, a measure that reports say began in 2018 at the Department of Agriculture when Secretary Sonny Perdue was unable to find an employee in the office on a day that person was working from home. The administration has sought increased accountability from employees.
OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
