Human Resources Flexibilities for Employees Located in Washington, DC during the Week of Inauguration

CPM 2025-03 January 10, 2025 Memorandum for Chief Human Capital Officers From: Veronica E. Hinton Associate Director Workforce Policy and Innovation Subject: Human Resources Flexibilities for Employees Located in Washington, DC during the Week of Inauguration

The 2025 Presidential Inauguration will be held in Washington, DC on January 20, 2025. Many inaugural activities will take place before and after the Presidential oath of office is administered on Monday afternoon, January 20. Traffic disruptions, road closures, and other restrictions are expected to start on January 14, 2025, running through January 22, 2025 (Inauguration Week). Federal employees who work in downtown Washington, DC, should be prepared for commuting delays and travel disruptions, particularly between Thursday, January 16 through Monday, January 20. To help support law enforcement efforts during Inauguration Week, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) encourages agencies to evaluate the impacts of potential road closures and traffic disruptions on their operations and to utilize workplace flexibilities as needed. In particular, OPM encourages agencies to operate under a maximum telework posture between January 16 through January 20 to alleviate the impact on employees from potential traffic disruptions, road closures, and other restrictions. Employees may also request to use their alternative work schedule day off, annual leave, leave without pay, previously earned compensatory time off, and/or earned credit hours under a flexible work schedule between January 16 through January 20. Employees who report to the physical worksite during Inauguration Week (particularly between January 16 through January 20) should allow extra time going to and from work, whether by private vehicle or public transportation. Employees are encouraged to monitor local news media for announcements on street closures for vehicular and pedestrian traffic, disruptions to public transportation, building closures, or any possible changes to the Washington, DC, area Federal Government operating status.

Agencies should use all communication tools they have in place to inform employees of any relevant, agency-specific issues. Holiday Designation for Inauguration Day By statute under 5 U.S.C 6103(c), Inauguration Day is a legal holiday for pay and leave purposes for federal employees working in specified cities and counties in the Washington, DC, area. In 2025, the Inauguration Day holiday falls on Monday, January 20, which is also the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) federal holiday (the third Monday in January). Because these holidays fall on the same day, employees in the Washington, DC, area (to whom the Inauguration Day holiday applies) are only entitled to one holiday. Please refer to the Federal Holidays - Work Schedules and Pay Fact Sheet for additional information. Holiday Observation for Birthday of MLK Employees who are not scheduled to work on Monday, January 20 will receive an “inlieu-of” holiday for the MLK holiday, but not for the Inauguration Day holiday. By law, there is no entitlement to an “in lieu of” holiday for employees who are not scheduled to work on Inauguration Day. To determine the “in-lieu-of” holiday for those employees for whom Monday, January 20 is a nonworkday, please refer to the “In-lieu-of” Holiday Fact Sheet. Additional Information For additional information on human resources flexibilities during Inauguration Week, agency headquarters-level human resources offices may contact OPM at paypolicy@opm.gov. For additional information on holiday observances, agency headquarters-level human resources offices may contact OPM at leavepolicy@opm.gov. Component-level human resources offices must contact their agency headquarters for assistance. Employees must contact their agency human resources offices for further information on this memorandum. cc: Deputy Chief Human Capital Officers and Human Resources Directors