Pandemic Preparations

The Office of Personnel Management has released guidance for federal employee leave, pay, hiring and scheduling policies in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak.

President Bush asked OPM to develop a plan to ensure that federal agencies could continue operating during such a crisis, while also protecting the health of their employees.

OPM's plan does not offer new options. Instead, it compiles all of the choices employees and their agencies already have for flexibility during catastrophes.

"Pandemics have occurred intermittently over centuries," OPM began its report. "The last three pandemics, in 1918, 1957 and 1968, killed approximately 40 million, 2 million and 1 million people worldwide, respectively. Although the timing cannot be predicted, history and science suggest that we will face one or more pandemics in this century."

OPM wants agencies to focus on their personnel contingency plans in the event of pandemic flu.

"People accomplish the mission of federal agencies, and a potential pandemic influenza outbreak may compromise the ability of federal agencies to accomplish their mission," the report noted. "Therefore, federal agencies must plan to deal with the potential human capital implications."

Some of the policies, such as annual leave and sick leave, are obvious and regularly used; others are less so.

For example, OPM reminded agencies that they can offer up to13 days of sick leave annually to employees providing care for a family member who is ill or for bereavement. An employee also can take up to 12 work weeks of accumulated sick leave a year to care for a family member with a serious health condition.

If employees exhaust their sick and annual leave, they can take an advance on the entire next year's leave.

"If a pandemic influenza outbreak spreads, federal employees may be infected or exposed," the report stated. "Their families may be incapacitated, and their options for getting to work may be limited. There may also be a need to limit potential exposure."

Agencies also have a number of hiring flexibilities to use during a flu outbreak.

For instance, agency officials may reappoint previously employed civil servants by reinstatement to a competitive service position. Agencies are required to maintain Reemployment Priority Lists of current and former employees who are an "immediate source of qualified individuals available for temporary, term or permanent competitive service appointments," according to OPM.

Under the miscellaneous category in the report, OPM reminded agencies that they have authority to establish periodic examination or immunization programs for employees whose line of work subjects them to a higher risk of exposure to the flu.

By Aug. 3, OPM will publish frequently asked questions, best practices and employee-specific information to supplement this guidance.