ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Team CECOM,
We had a tremendous Supervisor Town Hall, April 19. For any supervisors who were unable to attend, the recording is available to watch via the event link you received on your calendar invite. Mr. Larry Muzzelo provided a mentorship session on what makes a great supervisor, things he wished he knew earlier as a supervisor, leading Army Civilians, and lessons learned in his 37+ years of service.
Many of you have received the news that APG has moved to HPCON Alpha based on "Low" community risk levels in the surrounding communities. For our CECOM teammates at other locations, please continue to follow the guidance at your station of duty. HPCON criteria is aligned with the CDC's COVID-19 Community Levels and is based on each installation's surrounding environment.
As installations such as APG move to HPCON Alpha, more of our workforce will be authorized to be onsite. We received some outstanding questions from the team and would like to take a moment to provide some of that feedback to the wider audience:
Q. What is the biggest change with moving from HPCON Bravo to HPCON Alpha?
A. HPCON Alpha authorizes commanders, directors, and supervisors to bring back UP TO 100% of personnel to their traditional worksite based upon mission needs.
Q. How soon do people have to come back to their traditional worksite once their installation is allowed up to 100% on site?
A. DoD guidance states that organizations must provide 30-days advanced notification prior to recalling Civilian employees, but an employee does not need to wait 30 days to return to the office if they choose to do so sooner. Your return to work dates will be coordinated through your supervisor.
Q. What about the OPM's mass workplace flexibility guidance I keep hearing about? Isn't that extended through 30 September 2022?
A. Yes. OPM has extended mass workplace flexibilities through the end of this fiscal year. This gives supervisors the option to allow their workforce to telework if a child or other person at their home requires care or supervision. Employees who are granted this flexibility must still account for work and non-work hours, utilizing leave (paid or unpaid) if spending time away from work duties to care for a member of their household. This OPM extension provides an exception to OPM's normal telework policy that requires employees to be onsite for a minimum of two days per pay period. This allows the command the option to utilize maximum telework until we have officially completed workforce reentry in accordance with DoD policy or the President declares the end of the national emergency status.
Q. If I am at APG and I have been teleworking this entire time, am I required to come to work right away?
A. Supervisors are encouraged to listen to their commanders and directors on how to meet the guidance of bringing back UP TO 100% of personnel at the traditional worksite. Supervisors are encouraged to start bringing employees back to the traditional worksite in compliance with the 30-day notification requirement, while continuing to utilize the opportunity for mass flexibilities through 30 September if an employee needs that time, mission requirement dependent.
V/r,
Rob Edmonson
Commanding General, CECOM
Senior Mission Commander, APG
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