[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 40 (Monday, October 5, 1998)]
[Page 1931]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Assistance for Federal Employees Affected by Hurricane 
Georges

September 29, 1998

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

Subject: Assistance for Federal Employees Affected by Hurricane Georges

    I am deeply concerned about the devastating losses suffered by many 
as a result of Hurricane Georges. Multiple parts of the Federal 
Government have been mobilized to respond to this disaster.
    As part of this effort, I ask the heads of executive departments and 
agencies who have Federal civilian employees in designated disaster 
areas resulting from Hurricane Georges and its aftermath (including 
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) to use their discretion to 
excuse from duty, without charge to leave or loss of pay, any such 
employee who is prevented from reporting to work or faced with a 
personal emergency because of this disaster and who can be spared from 
his or her usual responsibilities. This policy also should be applied to 
any employee who is needed for emergency law enforcement, relief, or 
clean-up efforts authorized by Federal, State, or other officials having 
jurisdiction.
    I am also authorizing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to 
determine whether there is a need to establish an emergency leave 
transfer program to assist employees affected by this major disaster. An 
emergency leave transfer program would permit employees in an executive 
agency to donate their unused annual leave for transfer to employees of 
the same or other agencies who were adversely affected by the hurricane 
and who need additional time off for recovery. If the need for donated 
annual leave becomes evident, I direct OPM to establish the emergency 
leave transfer program and provide additional information to agencies on 
the programs's administration.
                                            William J. Clinton