OPM issues emergency personnel regulations after hurricane hits Florida

The Office of Personnel Management last week issued a series of regulations to help federal agencies respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Charley and hire emergency personnel who are needed in recovery efforts.

At the same time, a federal workers' aid organization established a fund to help employees who were affected by the heavy rain and high winds, and the IRS has extended payment deadlines for certain taxpayers in hard-hit counties. Hurricane Charley struck Florida late last week, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing at least 17 people.

The regulations were issued Friday in a memorandum to chief human capital officers and human resource directors and were intended to grant agencies flexibility in hiring and leave. OPM also lifted restrictions on biweekly pay limitations for employees performing emergency overtime work. OPM Director Kay Coles James "strongly encouraged" managers to excuse federal employees who are called to help with recovery efforts and employees who were personally affected by the hurricane.

"I am requesting that excused absence be granted to employees who are prevented from reporting to work or faced with a personal emergency because of the hurricane and its aftermath, and who can be spared from their usual responsibilities," James wrote in her memorandum.

OPM officials were not able to provide an interview on the memorandum, but a spokesman said the agency does not have the power to directly excuse those employees from work. Only the head of each agency can excuse workers, according to OPM spokesman Brendan LaCivita.

The regulations allowed agencies to make emergency 30-day appointments or enter 120-day contracts with temporary employment firms to fill critical needs in Charley's aftermath. Federal personnel officials also issued governmentwide direct-hire authority for certain medical officers, nurses, diagnostic radiological technicians and pharmacists. In the Hurricane Charley memorandum, OPM also reiterated direct-hire authority for information technology specialists to support "the requirements of the Government Information Security Act and the Federal Information Security Management Act." OPM officials were not able to explain how the information technology hiring authority is related to Hurricane Charley. That direct hire authority was first issued in 2003, but OPM officials included it in the memorandum "as a reminder to agencies of these authorities' availability if needed in relation to Hurricane Charley," LaCivita said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund established the 2004 Hurricane Fund to assist federal workers victimized by Charley. Donations can be made at the FEEA Web site. Civilian federal employees and Postal Service workers who were affected by the hurricane can call FEEA at 1-800-323-4140 to receive information about assistance.

The IRS announced special tax relief for residents in 25 counties hit by the storm. The relief applies primarily to taxpayers who received an extension from the original April deadline.