White House personnel office recommends telework during Army celebration and parade

The Office of Personnel Management recommends that federal agencies allow employees to telework this week, citing traffic concerns during the June 14 parade for the Army’s 250th anniversary.

Veronica Hinton, OPM’s associate director for workforce policy and innovation, said in a memo “preparations for the celebration may cause significant impacts to vehicular traffic and commute times in Washington,” starting Wednesday.

Agencies should approve unscheduled and situational telework for employees, and allow workers to use their alternative work schedule day off or other forms of time off, Ms. Hinton said.

Employees should monitor local media for alerts about traffic and public transit disruptions, she added.

President Trump, whose 79th birthday coincides with the Flag Day celebrations, has ordered all federal agencies to “take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis.”

However, his executive order said agency leaders could offer exemptions that they deem necessary.

Some federal workers have already begun working remotely due to the parade.

Through June 20, access to the Agriculture Department’s south building on Independence Avenue SW has been restricted to essential employees, with maximum telework recommended for all others who work there, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture email cited by government business news website Government Executive.

The building will be used to house soldiers participating in the parade.

“USDA has done so during the past two inaugurations; this is in part due to our ideal location on the National Mall and the capacity of the building itself. The military provides the logistical support for eating, sleeping, showering, and USDA provides the space,” a department spokesperson told Government Executive.