“ Status of Non-Emergency Employees and Non-Special Categories of Employees
In the event of severe hazardous conditions, disruption of public services, or other
emergency situations of short duration, employees may be instructed not to report for
work.
If an employee is prevented from working because he or she has been instructed by the
head of his or her agency or other authorized official not to report for work, the employee
normally will be excused from work without loss of pay or charge to leave. ”

“ Originating facility – The site of normal, day-to-day operations; the location where the
employee usually goes to work.
Reconstitution – The process by which surviving and or replacement agency personnel
resume normal agency operations from the original or replacement primary operating
facility.
Risk analysis – The identification and assessment of hazards.
Telecommuting locations – Those locations set up with computers and telephones that
enable employees to work at a location closer to their house than their main office. ”

“ VITAL RECORDS AND DATABASES. The identification, protection, and ready
availability of electronic and hardcopy documents, references, records, and
information systems needed to support essential functions during a COOP situation is
another critical element of a viable COOP plan. Agency personnel must have access
to and be able to use these records and systems in conducting their essential
functions. They must also have procedures for protecting and updating them. As a
minimum, categories of these types of records are:
(1)
Emergency Operating Records. ”

“ Since alternate operating facilities will be located at a sufficient distance
from the affected facility and in a relatively low-risk environment, no specific
construction requirements are identified. However, an agency's entire alternate facility
space should have the ability to run emergency power to allow essential functions and
operations to continue in any environment. ”

“ Exercise Program Plan
Type
Participants
Frequency
Location
ANNEX J – DEVOLUTION OF CONTROL AND DIRECTION
The full spectrum of threats, including notice and no-notice catastrophic attacks, and all-
hazards emergencies has prompted the Federal Executive Branch to review contingency
planning scenarios for COOP. The possibility that threats or attacks could render Federal
Government operations unavailable, for even the slightest period, is unacceptable, as
essential functions must continue. ”

“ Some agencies have a Regional Office or Field Office
that could operate as an alternate operating facility.
c.
Remote headquarters operations – Some agency headquarters are of such size that
their operations and facilities extend beyond the limits of their host city. One of
these locations could act as an alternate operating facility.
2.
Virtual offices.
a.
Work at Home – Many agencies have programs to allow employees to work from
home. This arrangement could be utilized for some COOP personnel to fulfill
their essential functions. ”

“ Required physical security capabilities must be tested/exercised annually and be in place
within 12 hours of COOP plan activation. Sufficient personnel should be designated to
provide perimeter, access, and internal security functions as required by agency policy.
Technologies for access, surveillance, and early warning of intrusion should also be
considered as part of an alternate facility physical security program.
9.
Life Support. Most life support items should be available from external sources (e.g.
food, water, medical services, sanitation, power) ”

“ RECONSTITUTION (TERMINATION AND RETURN TO NORMAL
OPERATIONS)
Inform all organizational personnel that the necessity to COOP no longer exists and
provide instructions for resumption of normal operations. Supervise an orderly return
to the normal operating facility, or movement to other temporary or permanent
facility (ies) . Report the status of relocation to the FOC and other agency points-of-
contact, as applicable. The FOC will relay this information to the HSOC and the
ONSC.
12. ”

“ Devolution of Control and Direction.
k. RECONSTITUTION. Extensive coordination is necessary to procure a new operating
site once an agency suffers a facility loss or in the event that collateral damage from a
disaster renders the structure unsafe for reoccupation. ”

“ Communications. Communications at the alternate facility is required to be consistent
with your agency COOP staffing plan during any event. Communications should be
provided in sufficient quantity and mode/media to effectively interface with other agency
elements (e.g. regional offices) , other agencies, and other government and private sector
organizations (including key operations centers) critical to the performance of agency
essential functions. Secure/non-secure communications requirements should be
incorporated. ”

“ Developing a protocol for safety and security personnel to maintain
communications in an emergency.
Pay Flexibilities
Each Federal agency has the authority and responsibility to establish work schedules for
its employees within general legal and regulatory guidelines. Most agencies are required
to comply with title 5, United States Code, and OPM's regulations when establishing
regularly scheduled administrative workweeks for their employees. ”

“ Establish reliable processes and procedures to acquire resources necessary to
continue essential functions and sustain operations until normal business
activities can be reconstituted, which could be up to 30 days;
(9) Provide for the ability to coordinate activities with non-COOP personnel; and
(10) Provide for reconstitution of agency capabilities, and transition from
continuity operations to normal operations
See Annex A- Plans and Procedures. ”

“ Clearly established
delegations of authority are vital to ensuring all agency personnel know who has
authority to make key decisions in a COOP situation. Generally, pre-determined
delegations of authority will take effect when normal channels of direction and
control are disrupted and will terminate when these channels are restored.
See Annex C – Delegations of Authority
d. ”

“ The
biweekly premium pay limitation does not apply to wage employees or to Fair
Labor Standards Act overtime pay.
4.
Annual Premium Pay Limitation. In certain emergency or mission critical
situations, an agency has the authority, without OPM approval, to apply an
annual premium pay cap instead of a biweekly premium pay cap. In this regard,
the agency head, or his or her designee, or OPM may determine that an
emergency exists. ”

“ MOA/MOU for co-location with another agency. One agency may relocate to another
agency's facilities. The relocating agency could occupy available space in the other
agency's headquarters, training facility, field office, or other available agency space.
4.
Acquisition of an agency specific alternate operating facility.
a.
Agency procured and maintained space – For this option, an agency with the
authority to procure their own space may do so to meet their alternate operating
facilities requirements. ”

“ There are no fixed solutions that will automatically apply to all agencies in every
emergency. Agency managers should work closely with their Chief Human
Capital Officer or Director of Human Resources, as applicable. For Government
wide and many other types of emergencies, OPM will likely provide guidance on
its Web site (or other means) to agency Chief Human Capital Officers.
Sample Agency Guidelines for Communicating to Employees
1. ”

“ Require managers to be responsible for determining closure, dismissal, and leave
policies for employees on shift work and for informing employees of these
policies.
Methods of Employee Communications
Employees should be encouraged to familiarize themselves with the procedures that have
been put into place at their agency, as well as the means of notification that an agency
will use to inform and instruct employees. Activities to support communications with
employees include:
1. ”

“ RECONSTITUTION
ANNEX L – GLOSSARY
ANNEX A- PLANS AND PROCEDURES
A Continuity of Operations (COOP) plan shall be developed and documented by each
Federal department and agency to minimize disruption of business operations and
provide for continued performance of essential functions under all circumstances.
Comprehensive COOP plans should include appropriate provisions and lists developed in
advance of COOP activation to ensure a viable COOP capability.
As a minimum, agencies must incorporate lists for the following elements of their COOP
plans:
1. ”

“ Providing updates on COOP status to the FOC as designated or if the agency's
COOP status changes; and
(9)
Coordinating intra-agency COOP efforts and initiatives with policies, plans,
and activities in accordance with directives related to terrorism, Critical
Infrastructure Protection, and all-hazards preparedness. Contingency planning
efforts such as Disaster Recovery Plans, Information Assurance, National
Response Plan, Business Continuity Plans etc., should be integrated into the
agency's COOP plan. ”

“ Achieving a timely and orderly recovery from an emergency and resuming full and
normal operations.
PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS:
The following is provided for the identification and preparation of alternate operating facilities
for continuity operations:
1.
Location of Facilities. Agencies should perform an all-hazard risk assessment for all
facility (ies) being considered for COOP use. ”

“ Weapons of mass destruction can be high explosives or nuclear, biological, chemical, and
radiological weapons.
Work-at-home – When an employee carries out their work duties at their residence
rather than their official duty station. ”

“ Agencies are required to review redundant IT equipment
countermeasures that provide access to data systems and services to conduct
essential functions and support activities.
5.
Redundant communications systems for use in COOP implementation.
6.
Redundant communications systems available to support COOP operational
requirements within 12-hours of COOP activation and sustained for up to 30-days.
7.
Interoperability with existing field infrastructures.
To identify required interoperable communications systems, agencies must:
1. ”

“ Consideration for the health, safety, security, and emotional well being of
relocated employees;
(5)
Interoperable communications, including means for secure communications,
with all identified essential internal and external organizations, customers, and
the public; and
(6)
Computer equipment, software, and other automated data processing
equipment necessary to carry out essential functions. ”

“ Establish and disseminate written procedures for dismissal or closure to
employees at least annually;
2.
Identify employees who must report for work under various emergency
situations and projected scenarios to continue Government operations and notify
these employees in writing that they are so designated ”