Seal of the Governor
For Immediate Release: April 23, 2020
Contacts: Office of the Governor: Alenaa Yarmosky, Alena.Yarmosky@governor.virginia.gov

Governor Hogan, Governor Northam, and Mayor Bowser Urge Trump Administration to Continue Telework for Federal Employees

RICHMOND—Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser have sent a letter urging the Trump administration to continue to keep telework policies in place for the federal workforce. More than one-fifth of the nation’s federal workforce lives in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

“While of course any essential employee should continue to report to work, we know that a continued federal telework policy will help save lives by allowing more of our region’s 360,000 federal employees to work from home,” Hogan, Northam, and Bowser wrote in a letter to Michael J. Rigas, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management.

“This is a hard balancing act between ensuring the continuation of critical government functions and ensuring the safety and well-being of employees,” they continued. “But we know that the Trump administration can similarly make these appropriate judgements, and we hope the federal telework posture is reflective of our own local operating statuses.”

The National Capital Region leaders have collaborated and coordinated throughout this crisis in a number of critical areas, including establishing strict telework policies for the employees of their respective jurisdictions.

“We encourage the Administration to help ensure the safety of the federal workforce and our residents as we work together to fight this pandemic,” Hogan, Northam, and Bowser said. “Failure to do so could lead to a rise in cases and delay our ability to re-open the region.”

The full text of the letter is available here.

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