Attached for your information is the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM's) Handbook On Pay and Leave Benefits For Federal Employees Affected By Severe Weather Emergencies or Other Emergency Situations. This Handbook provides a general summary of the pay and leave benefits available to employees prevented from working in an area affected by severe weather emergencies or other emergency situations (including advance payments and evacuation payments), employees required to work in an area affected by severe weather emergencies or other emergency situations, and other pay and leave benefits.

We hope you find this information helpful in dealing with any emergency situation. We encourage you to make this publication available to employees. The Handbook is available at www.opm.gov/oca .

This Handbook supplements a number of memoranda and other materials OPM has issued as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. These materials are available at http://www.opm.gov/emergency/Katrina.asp.

We will continue to work closely with affected agencies to minimize the disruption of the business of the Federal Government caused by Hurricane Katrina and to ensure the successful recovery of operations.

For additional assistance, please contact your assigned OPM Human Capital Officer. Employees should contact their agency human resources offices for assistance.

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