Feds give OPM a big ‘thumbs up’ for Tuesday closing decision

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The Office of Personnel Management’s decision Monday night to close federal offices in the Washington, D.C.-region for the second day in a row has received an overwhelmingly positive response from federal employees on social media. Many feds were still housebound following an historic snowstorm that blanketed the East Coast over the weekend.

By Tuesday morning, OPM’s announcement on its operating status webpage had 117,000 likes.

Likewise, OPM’s Facebook page had garnered 107 positive comments, with most people expressing some form of “Thank you.”

“Thanks for calling it at a decent hour,” wrote Karyn Hill. “I’m sure it’s not an easy decision to make but those of us who still can’t get to our cars, much less get them out, appreciate it.”

“Thank you OPM,” wrote Shane Hall-Minor. “We appreciate this so much. The last thing we want to do, is get in a wreck or worse trying to drive on these streets. Thank you for thinking about our welfare … and our families safety. Many people may not agree with this decision, but many of us are thankful.The secondary roads are impassable, and it’s a deathtrap out here.”

“Thanks OPM for thinking about the safety of the workers. I will be teleworking tomorrow,” Renee Coneway wrote.

“Thank you so much. It’s difficult to arrange childcare when so many streets in the area remain inaccessible,” Dorothy Garcia wrote. “It was a hard call, I’m sure, but it was the right one.”

“Good news,” Stephanie Abdullah wrote. “The struggle is real in these post [Snowstorm] Jonas streets.”

“We love you OPM,” Al Tyas wrote.

OPM met with the Metropolitan Council of Governments Monday night to discuss the latest information about the current state of the roads and the mass transit systems. OPM heard from local governments and state and county transportation authorities and decided it was best to wait one more day, given overnight temperatures projected to be in the teens and roadways expected to freeze.

OPM’s decision followed a similar one by the Baltimore Federal Executive Board, which made the decision on Monday night to close federal offices in that part of Maryland for Tuesday.

Many area school systems remain closed through Thursday, and transportation officials are urging the public to stay off the roads as much as possible to give road crews time and room to move snow and clear the streets.

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