The Washington area is about to get smacked with its second major snowstorm this winter. Forecasters are predicting snow to begin around midday tomorrow, and it’s expected to get worse as the day goes on, eventually accumulating 16 to 24 inches.
The Office of Personnel Management just declared that anyone who can’t make it in tomorrow can take unscheduled leave. Emergency employees are still expected to show up. FedLine’s crack meteorological team (which is pretty much just me checking the National Weather Service’s Web site) will keep you posted on the federal government’s operating status over the next few days.
NWS is forecasting near-blizzard conditions and says this storm could be about as bad as the Dec. 19 storm, which closed the federal government for the first time in nearly seven years. Each snow day costs the government about $102 million, OPM Director John Berry said last December.
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Do people in the Beltway realize/care that they are a laughing stock to most of the country for their inability to handle weather?
I’m new to the Federal sector and dismayed by the slack work culture. Much of the Federal government, including me, is “teleworking” today, which seems to be a codeword for doing nothing at home. I’m already seeing emails preparing to reschedule meetings next Tuesday, four days from now! Come on! EVERY email today has been about the telework policy and how to respond to a little weather. NONE about actual work that needs to continue and be completed.
I’ve recently come to government from the private sector where output is measured and performance, regardless of inconvenience, is demanded. This is how the rest of America works–the Beltway owes taxpayers an honest effort and doesn’t appear to be giving it.
Hey BH, you are full of BS? You PS super-worker buddies are stranded too, many without electric service at work. My streets won’t even be plowed of their 30″ of snow till late Monday at the earliest. I grew up in Chicago, and by those standards, this is a very very big snow; and by those same standards, you have a slot to learn if you want to be an effective Fed.