Human Resources

Remote Telework and its Effects on Locality Pay, May 8, 2021

Telework Flexibilities Extension

July 6, 2021

On June 17, 2021, the DoD issued a memo extending COVID-related telework flexibilities to civilian employees.  This limited exception to policy allows employees to telework during an emergency with a child or other persons requiring care/supervision present at home through 1 March 2022.  The previous extension was set to expire on June 30, 2021.  Please note, employees must still account for work and non-work hours during their tours of duty and take appropriate leave (paid or unpaid) to account for time spent away from normal work-related duties (e.g., to care for a child or dependent).

As a reminder, absent this limited exception, DoD policy prohibits telework as a substitute for dependent care. 

Q1: Will NPS grant me leave if I get sick with COVID-19?

A1: Employees will generally be required to take accrued sick leave if they experience symptoms of COVID-19. If you run out of leave, sick leave may be advanced, in accordance with applicable limitations. Employees may also be able to enroll in the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) if they have expended all sick and annual leave and have administratively sufficient medical documentation substantiating the need. To discuss civilian leave options, contact the NPS Human Resources Office at hro@nps.edu.

*Military recovery time would be considered in the line of duty.
     
Q2: Can NPS grant me Weather and Safety Leave if I need to telework because I was exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19?

A2: If you are symptomatic, you may use sick, annual or other accrued time off.  If you are asymptomatic and telework ready, you will be required to either telework, take annual leave, or use other accrued time off. You will not be eligible to use sick leave or Weather and Safety Leave for a mere exposure. However. weather and Safety Leave may be authorized if an asymptomatic person who is not telework ready is quarantined under the authority of local or public health officials.

Q3:  What happens if I am subject to a 14-day quarantine period and do not have the ability to work from home or at another approved location?

A3: If you are not telework ready, Weather and Safety Leave may be authorized for an asymptomatic employee who is subject to movement restrictions (quarantine or isolation) under the direction of public health authorities due to a significant risk of exposure to a communicable disease, such as COVID-19. Ask your chain of command and Human Resources Office to determine your course of action.

Q4: If I run out of sick leave due to my own or another family member’s illness from COVID-19, can I receive advanced Sick Leave?

A4: Sick Leave can be advanced at the Agency’s direction under the following circumstances:

• 30 days/240 hours can be advanced if the employee will jeopardize the health of others by exposing them to a communicable disease.
• 3 days/104 hours may be advanced if the employee is providing care for a family member who would jeopardize the health of others by exposing them to a communicable disease.

Q5: How do I find information on Worker’s Compensation benefits related to COVID-19?

A5: Information can be found at:

https://www.dol.gov/owcp/dfec/InfoFECACoverageCoronavirus.htm

Q6: If an employee comes to work and shows symptoms of illness, what should the supervisor do? May the employee be placed on excused absence (administrative leave), and if so, for how long? What is needed before the employee can return to work? 

A6: When a supervisor observes an employee at the workplace exhibiting medical symptoms, he or she can express general concern regarding the employee’s health and remind the employee of his or her leave options for seeking medical attention, such as requesting sick or annual leave. If the employee has no leave available, supervisors are authorized to approve requests for advanced leave or leave without pay in certain circumstances. When these leave options are not practical, a viable alternative, when the employee is covered by a telework agreement, is for the employee to work from home for social distancing purposes pursuant to an ad hoc arrangement approved by the employee’s supervisor. Supervisors should not place an employee on excused absence (administrative leave) without first consulting with HR. Before an employee returns to work, the employee’s supervisor should also consult with HR. 

Q7: What happens if an employee does not have a sufficient amount of work to perform to cover the entire telework day during incidences of COVID-19? 

A7: An employee must always have a sufficient amount of work to perform throughout the workday when he or she teleworks. An employee performing telework who does not have enough work must notify his or her supervisor and receive additional work or discuss leave options such as annual leave, advanced annual leave, other paid time off (e.g., earned compensatory time off, earned credit hours), or leave without pay. 

Q8: Are there additional leave benefits available during the pandemic? 

A8: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides additional leave benefits to employees impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Q9: What does the FFCRA do?

A9: The FFCRA requires the federal government to provide all of its employees with paid sick leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19 from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. In lieu of or in conjunction with the benefits established by the FFCRA, supervisors and employees are encouraged to utilize alternative work and leave flexibilities, such as Telework, Alternative Work Schedules, and Weather and Safety Leave. For more information, see the DO Fact Sheet here.

Q10: How do I qualify for Emergency Paid Sick Leave related to COVID-19 under the FFCRA?

A10: A Federal employee is entitled to take leave related to COVID-19 if the employee is unable to work, including unable to telework, because the employee:
 

a)  Is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19;

b)  Has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19;

c)  Is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis;

d)  Is caring for an individual subject to an order described in item (a) above or is self-quarantined as described in item (b) above;

e)  Is caring for his or her child whose school, or place of care, is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) due to COVID-19 related reasons; or

f)   Is experiencing any other substantially-similar condition specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (additional information pending)

Q11: What are the paid leave entitlements for Emergency Paid Sick Leave granted under the FFCRA? 

A11: Entitlements include up to two weeks (80 hours, or a part-time employee’s two-week equivalent) of Emergency Paid Sick Leave under the FFCRA at:
Full rate of pay for qualifying reasons (a) – (c) above, up to $511 daily and $5,110 total;

Two-thirds an employee’s rate of pay for qualifying reasons (d) – (f) above, up to $200 daily and $2,000 total.

Q12: What are the paid leave entitlements for Emergency Family and Medical Leave granted under the FFCRA? 

A12: Because this provision only applies to individuals covered by Title I, employees at NPS do not qualify for this benefit. 

Q13: How do I apply for benefits under the FFCRA? 

A13:  Employees who cannot work, or telework, for the circumstances listed above may request leave under the FFCRA by submitting the following to HRO@nps.edu:

  The date(s) requested for leave and number of hours

The reason for leave, and

A statement explaining the reason why you are unable to work 

Q14: Is there any additional information I need to provide? 

A14: If the leave is due to an order to quarantine or isolate, you must specify the government entity or healthcare provider who gave the order or advice to quarantine or isolate.

If the leave is to care for a child whose school or place of care is closed, or child care provider is unavailable you must specify:
  The name of the child or individual being cared for,

The school, place of care, or child care provider that has closed or become unavailable

A statement that no other suitable person is available to care for the child.

Q15: Will I incur any debts if I collect benefits through the FFCRA? 

Q15: Because using this leave may result in a debt that will be collected at a later date and debt waivers will not be approved, supervisors and employees should consider other forms of available leave and/or work flexibilities prior to using emergency paid leave through the FFCRA. Please click here for additional information on Federal Employee Rights under the FFCRA, and HRO@nps.edu for further information.  

Q16: If an employee is unable to use leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will leave be forfeited?

A16: If an employee schedules “use or lose” annual leave in writing before the third biweekly pay period prior to the end of the leave year, and the leave is canceled due to an exigency of the public business (i.e., an urgent need for the employee to be at work), the employee may request restoration of the forfeited annual leave. (5 CFR 630.306(a)(2))