OPM Announces Lift of Hazard Pay Cap, Guidance on Shelter in Place

In two notices released Tuesday, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that government employees who are considered essential frontline employees could receive extra pay during the coronavirus pandemic and clarified how federal employees should work amidst local stay at home orders.

In a statement released April 14, OPM clarified that, in consultation with the Department of Justice, no local restrictions on movement enacted to limit the spread of the coronavirus “restrict the ability of Federal employees from any travel necessary to perform official functions deemed essential by their employers.”

OPM recommended federal employees continue to carry their federal employee identification when traveling to and from the office in the event of a travel issue with local law enforcement. OPM also recommended agencies continue to follow the staffing plans that have been adopted consistent with OMB COVID-19 directives.

In a memo released on the same day, OPM informed federal agencies that the COVID-19 relief legislation passed last month lifted limits on how much agencies can pay their employees and waived annual constraints on how much overtime employees could claim.

"The head of an agency [can] waive the premium pay limitation [under Title 5 of the U.S. Code] and apply a higher annual premium pay cap for services performed by an employee during fiscal year 2020 that the head of the agency determines are primarily related to the preparation, prevention, or response to COVID-19,” Acting Director Michael Rigas wrote.

According to OPM, only employees whose agencies receive funding or reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for their premium pay rates are eligible.

Several Senate Democratic lawmakers have also discussed introducing a legislative measure to expand access to hazard pay for front line federal employees.