While many District government agencies have transitioned to remote work, some District government employees must continue to physically report for duty. As the public health emergency is disrupting many services, employees may have increased difficulties getting to work. The District government is providing assistance to employees in the form of a $14 per diem for those who must physically report to work. 

The District government is providing employees a $14 per diem for each day they must physically report to work for more than one hour, up to $140 per pay period. These additional funds will be automatically added to an employee’s paycheck for the days the employee physically reported to a District government duty station and recorded their time as “Regular Pay.” The per diem shall be effective immediately with the first payout beginning the week of April 20, retroactive to the beginning of the government’s shift to modified operations on March 16. This $14 per diem shall not be considered basic pay for any purpose.

For purposes of this per diem, the term “must physically report to work” means that the employee is scheduled and reports to a District government duty station, or is authorized or permitted to report to a District government duty station by the agency head, or his or her designee. 

All employees who must physically report to work for more than one hour from March 16, 2020, through July 25, 2020, shall receive the $14 per diem unless they are in the:

• Executive Service;
• Senior Executive Attorney Service (SEAS);
• Excepted Service at grade 8 or above; or
• Management Supervisory Service at grades 15 and 16. 

As an additional token of the District’s appreciation to employees who must physically report to work during the public health emergency, the Mayor is granting a Time Off Award of 40 hours for all employees. An employee who receives a Time Off Award may take time off from work for up to 40 hours without loss of pay or a charge to their accrued leave.

An employee may use this award at any time according to their agency's leave policies, provided the leave does not negatively impact District operations.

Eligibility 

Employees who physically reported to work during the declared emergency from March 16, 2020, through July 25, 2020, shall receive the Time Off Award so long as:

1. They received at least 80 hours of regular pay between March 16 and July 25, 2020;
2. They have not previously received a Time Off Award within the last 6 months; and
3. They have met job performance expectations and have a satisfactory level of attendance during the 12 months prior to the authorization of this award.

Employees 

Employees do not have to perform any further action to receive the $14 per diems or Time Off Award. However, employees must ensure that they are completing their timesheets correctly if they are teleworking or reporting to a physical duty station.

All employees who are teleworking must use the “Situational Telework” TRC for all telework hours in PeopleSoft.

Employees who must physically report to a District government duty station for more than one hour must record time using the “Regular Pay” TRC for all non-teleworking hours.

For additional guidance on entering your time during the public health emergency, please refer to Issuance 2020-7, Covid-19 Timekeeping.

Supervisors, Timekeepers, and Human Resources Advisors

All supervisors and timekeepers should monitor employee timesheets to ensure that employees are correctly entering their time in PeopleSoft. DCHR will work with agency human resources advisors and quality assurance liaisons to verify that teleworking employees are not using the “Regular Pay” TRC.

Certain District government employees have gone above and beyond in service to the District during the pandemic. To improve morale and recognize the distinguished service and sacrifices made by exceptional employees, the Director of the DCHR authorizes a variance to Chapter 19, Incentive Awards, § 1904.3(e). 

The District government authorizes a variance to § 1903.3 because the requirement for individual agencies to convene their own awards committees creates an undue hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The requirement unnecessarily prolongs the expedient recognition of exceptional employees. Establishing individual committees and related procedures also requires agencies to divert resources away from critical District government operations, which may result in the acts of some employees to go unrecognized. 

Thus, DCHR is granting a variance to allow the Mayor to establish a single Incentive Awards Committee to review agency nominations for awards from across the District.

Authorities

1. COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020, A23-9247 at Sec. 301(a)(4) (eff. Mar. 17, 2020).
2. Declaration of Public Health Emergency: Coronavirus (COVID-19), Mayor’s Order 2020-046 as extended by Mayor’s Order 2020-50 (Mar. 20, 2020).
3. 6-B DCMR § 1905.
4. 6-B DCMR § 104