{"id":24540,"date":"2019-01-25T15:48:11","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T15:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/25\/opm-calls-for-greater-flexibility-for-working-feds\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:58:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:58:27","slug":"opm-calls-for-greater-flexibility-for-working-feds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/hr\/2019\/01\/25\/opm-calls-for-greater-flexibility-for-working-feds\/","title":{"rendered":"OPM calls for greater flexibility for working feds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Federal employees whose agencies lack funding but are still required to work during the government shutdown face greater difficulties, as the loss of paychecks also impacts the daily costs necessary for getting to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, the Office of Personnel Management issued a memo Jan. 23 calling on agencies to offer as many workplace flexibilities as possible to those employees for the duration of the shutdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese employees may have also lost their subsidies for childcare and transit benefits and are generally ineligible for unemployment benefits if they are working full-time,\u201d acting OPM Director Margaret Weichert wrote in the memo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDuring this difficult time, it is prudent, to the extent possible and appropriate, for agencies to provide additional flexibility to the federal civil servants who are excepted from the furlough to perform necessary functions for the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t