Dear Colleagues:
It is hard to believe that we have been in our maximum telework posture to slow the spread of COVID-19 for over four weeks and how much our world has changed in such a short time. In spite of this adversity, you continue to rise to the challenge to accomplish the critical Department of Energy (DOE) missions for our nation.
The impact of COVID-19 has been significant and has affected our daily lives, particularly those of us who must also care for dependent family members while working from home. As a father with young children, I know it is not easy to balance professional responsibilities and personal caregiving duties when schools, daycares, and other care facilities are closed.
To help DOE’s many teleworking caregivers balance work and family responsibilities, I am providing supervisors with the authority to grant Federal employees up to 20 hours of excused absence per pay period to teleworking Federal employees caring for or providing educational instruction to children as a result of school closures due to COVID-19. This flexibility is also extended to those employees who may have to care for other family members, such as elderly parent or an adult child with special needs, whose care facilities were closed due to COVID-19.
The 20 hours of excused absence per pay period may be applied retroactively to March 13, 2020, and will be available for use through the pay period ending June 19, 2020, which coincides with the normal conclusion of the school year. Additional details regarding excused absence for caregiving can be found here: https://www.energy.gov/articles/covid-19-faqs-0.
We are living in an unprecedented time with additional stress placed on our working families and I hope this new flexibility will help. Thank you to each and every one of you for all of your hard work and perseverance during these trying times. We will continue to get through this together. Be well and stay safe.
Dan Brouillette
Secretary of Energy