Fiscal Year 2020 Restrictions on Personnel Actions, Travel, and Training

I-2020-12


Effective Date: Expiration Date: Chapters:
April 6, 2020 Sept. 30, 2020 8   9   10   11   13   36   38  

Overview

Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the District government faces a projected Fiscal Year 2020 revenue shortfall of at least $600 million. To address this revenue shortfall, the Mayor has ordered restrictions on the expenditure of funds for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020, which includes restrictions on personnel actions, training and travel. This issuance gives an overview of these restrictions and outlines the process for seeking waiver of these restrictions.


Personnel Action Restrictions

Agencies may not expend any funds on the below personnel actions, unless an exception applies or authorized through a written waiver issued on behalf of the City Administrator's office.

Action Description and Restrictions
Additional Income Awards (AIA) Additional Income Allowances are generally authorized by 6B DCMR §1143 and provide up to a 15% allowance as a hiring and retention incentive. AIAs are subject to the restrictions under this issuance.
Awards

Monetary and non-monetary awards are typically authorized under Chapter 19. Monetary and Tangible Item Awards are subject to the restrictions in this issuance. There are no restrictions on Time-Off Awards or Length of Service Awards.

Bonuses

Bonuses typically refer to Additional Income Allowances, Hiring Bonuses, and Performance Allowances. These bonuses are subject to the restrictions outlined in this issuance, except when required by a collective bargaining agreement.

Hiring

Hiring of employees is restricted by the Mayor’s Order. This includes hiring of external candidates to fill vacant positions and extensions of temporary and term appointments. Agencies are also prohibited from using contracting vehicles to augment agency staffing.

The restriction on hiring does not apply to lateral reassignments or transfers of existing employees within and between agencies when there is no change in the employee’s salary.

Pay Increases

Agencies may not take any personnel actions that increase an employee’s established salary. This includes, but is not limited to quality salary increases, upward salary adjustments, reassignments resulting in increased pay, and competitive and non-competitive promotions resulting in increased pay.

The restrictions on pay increases does not apply to step increases or cost-of-living adjustments required by law, regulation, court order, or a collective bargaining agreement.

Pre-Employment Expenses

Under some circumstances, agencies may reimburse candidates and new hires for pre-employment travel expenses, as well as relocation and temporary housing expenses. (See 6B DCRM §§ 911, 1003, and 1142.)

At this time, these expenditures are not authorized absent a waiver.
Reclassifications

Classification refers to how employees’ duties and responsibilities are classified into occupational groups and families. Collectively, the occupational designations and the duties and responsibilities are reduced to a position description, which drives the grade and salary range for the given position.

From time to time, an employee’s job must be reclassified. That is, an employee’s actual duties may change to such an extent that they are no longer performing the duties and responsibilities found in the original classified position description. When this occurs, DCHR evaluates and may reclassify an employee’s job to more properly align with his or her actual duties and responsibilities.

When a position is reclassified it may result in a demotion (with a decrease in salary), a promotion (with an increase in salary), or it may simply result in a change in the occupational series without a change in pay.

Reclassification actions that would otherwise result in a pay increase may be authorized only through the waiver process described below. Moreover, until further notice, all reclassification actions are suspended except when specifically authorized by DCHR.

Hiring Exceptions

Positions within certain agencies are exempt from the hiring freeze. These positions include the following:

  1. Candidates with a written job offer: An applicant who received a final written job offer on or before April 6, 2020 with a confirmed start date on or before April 27, 2020;
  2. Child and Family Services Agency: Social workers and family support workers;
  3. Department of Behavioral Health: All employees at St. Elizabeths Hospital;
  4. Department of Corrections: Corrections officers;
  5. Department on Disability Services: Service coordinators, service coordination supervisors, investigators, supervisory investigators, nurse practitioners, and Medicaid waiver specialists;
  6. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services: Youth development representatives, supervisory youth development representatives, care coordinators, and medical and behavioral health employees;
  7. District of Columbia National Guard: All employees;
  8. District of Columbia Public Schools: Teachers and principals;
  9. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department: Firefighters and emergency medical service providers;
  10. Metropolitan Police Department: All uniformed officer positions;
  11. Office of Unified Communications: Call takers and dispatchers;
  12. Externally funded personnel: All employees whose salaries are fully funded by federal or private funds;
  13. Individuals with restoration rights mandated by law or regulation.

Training and Travel Restrictions

In the interest of public safety during the COVID-19 emergency, and to alleviate the projected revenue shortfall, the District government is enacting travel and training restrictions to lower the risk of exposure and excess cost to the District.

General Travel

All travel for the purpose of District government business is suspended unless the travel is:

  1. Within the District, or within 50 miles of the District;
  2. 100% funded by federal or private funds; or
  3. Essential to accompany individuals under the care of the Child and Family Services Agency, Department on Disability Services, Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, or Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

Without exception, employees may not travel internationally for the purpose of District government business for any reason.

Travel for Training and Seminars

Employees may not travel for a training, seminar, or conference unless:

  1. The training, seminar, or conference is conducted by District government employees at a District government facility;
  2. The training, seminar, or conference is required by law to maintain certification necessary to carry out employees’ official duties; or
  3. The training, seminar, or conference is 100% funded by federal or private funds.

Waivers

There may be circumstances when an agency needs to request a waiver to the above spending and personnel action restrictions. Agencies may request a waiver when:

  1. The waiver is necessary to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency;
  2. The waiver is otherwise necessary for the public health, safety, or welfare;
  3. The waiver is necessary to carry out an essential function of the District government;
  4. The waiver will result in the generation of revenue for the District government; or
  5. The expenditure for which the waiver is requested is funded in whole or in significant part by federal or private funds.

Agencies should use the Waiver Request Form Template (Attachment 1) to submit waiver requests and follow the instructions in the Waiver Request Process for FY 2020 Spending and Hiring Freeze Memo and Submission Groups and Dates guidance from the Office of Budget and Performance Management (Attachments 2 and 3). Once the form is submitted, the City Administrator will make the determination of whether or not to waive the restriction.

NOTE: Agencies should not request waivers for international travel.

Suspension of Position Classification Actions

DCHR is suspending position classification actions during the COVID-19 emergency. This suspension applies to all agencies under the Mayor’s authority, as well as agencies with independent personnel authority and independent agencies that receive classification services from DCHR.

During the suspension:

  • No new positions will be established;
  • DCHR will not accept additional submissions for re-certifications, re-descriptions, or re-establishments.
  • The typical 3-year recertification period is suspended; 
  • When authorized, recruitment may continue for established positions, provided the existing position description accurately reflects the current duties regardless of the last date recertified;
  • No new submissions of proposed reductions-in-force efforts that require the approval or concurrence of DCHR.
  • No desk audits or position reviews of encumbered (filled) positions.
  • No establishment of new career ladders.

Exceptions

In certain instances, classification actions may be submitted with a written justification from the agency director to the Director, Department of Human Resources. These exceptions include, but are not limited to, actions that are deemed mission critical as determined by the agency and DCHR, those that are federally funded, or those actions that are mandated by the Council or the Executive Office of the Mayor. These exceptions will be reviewed by the Director of Human Resources on a case-by-case basis.

Agencies seeking an exceptions should first consult with DCHR, Human Resources Solutions Administration, Classification, Zondie Pendarvis, Human Resources Manager, at zondie.pendarvis@dc.gov, (202) 727-1599. Written justification for an exception may be by email  to the DCHR Director at ventris.gibson@dc.gov. The justification must address why the position is “new,” and include the approval to fill the position from the City Administrator.


Hiring Reports

The D.C. Department of Human Resources (DCHR) is required to submit a report to the OCA detailing hiring activities (for the prior month) in subordinate agencies. The report, which is due by the 15th of each month, is to include a chart depicting the following information on new hires: name, position title, grade/step, hire date, service (i.e. Career Service, MSS, etc.), and employing agency. The report is derived from data collected through PeopleSoft and agencies will not typically need to take any additional action. However, DCHR may reach out to agencies occasionally to verify or correct PeopleSoft data.

The OCA will routinely assess hiring activities of subordinate agencies. Upon review of the report, if a determination is made that an agency has inadequate controls over its hiring of new employees, the requirement for the agency to obtain prior approval (of new hires) by the City Administrator may be reinstated, in accordance with Mayor's Order 2014-230, dated October 2, 2014.

NOTE: The hiring of Excepted Service employees will continue to be managed by the Executive Office of the Mayor and the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointment.

Agency Travel and Training Reporting

Pursuant to City Administrator’s Order No. 2016-1, all subordinate agencies are required to submit monthly travel and training expense reports to the OCA.  The report is due by the 15th of each month, and must include a chart that provides the following information:

  • Name(s) of the traveler(s)/trainee(s);
  • Position title(s) of the traveler(s)/trainee(s);
  • Date(s) of the travel or training;
  • Location of the travel or training;
  • Purpose of the travel or training; and
  • Total expenditures for the travel or training.

Copies of each training and travel authorization form (signed by the agency head or designee) must also be included as an addendum to the report.


Penalties for Violation

No employee of the District government may make or authorize an expenditure, obligation, or personnel action that is inconsistent with this Issuance. An officer or employee who violates the provisions in this Issuance shall be subject to appropriate administrative discipline, which may include, as warranted, suspension from duty without pay or removal from office.


Applicability

This Order shall apply to all subordinate executive branch agencies of the District government. This Order shall apply during Fiscal Year 2020.

Independent agencies are encouraged to comply with this Issuance and to consult the Office of the City Administrator on the application and provisions of this Issuance and Mayor’s Order 2020-057 to their operations.


References


Issued by Director Ventris C. Gibson, D.C. Department of Human Resources on May 13, 2020, midnight