In case you've never seen one, here is what went out to each individual staff member at CDC starting last night and through this morning. My notice was received at 7:06am. Thanks Teabaggers!
I. - Important Furlough Related Notice
As Secretary Sebelius communicated in her message to all employees, civilian and uniformed dated April 5, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services may be in a furlough status when the current Continuing Resolution expires this week. In the absence of either a fiscal year 2011 appropriation, or a continuing resolution for HHS, no further financial obligations may be incurred as of midnight on Friday, April 8, 2011 except for those related to the orderly suspension of the agency's operations or performance of funded or excepted activities, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget.
You have not been identified as excepted from the furlough based on one of the following criteria defined by OMB: (1) Employees involved in obligations 'authorized by law' or (2) Employees involved in the safety of human life or the protection of property. This means that if the Department is in a furlough status, you will be furloughed from your position, and will be in a nonpay, nonduty status. (Commissioned Corps officers will remain on active duty, but in a non-work, non-pay status)
Please begin identifying the required actions you will need to complete in order to effect an orderly shutdown of your office operations should the official shutdown occur.
All employees will receive their regularly scheduled pay on Friday, April 15, 2011 for the pay period ending Saturday, April 9, 2011.
Because this furlough does not have a planned end date, Departmental leadership will make a reasonable effort to inform all employees when the furlough is over and when they are expected to return to work. Please also continue to monitor the news for the latest information regarding the furlough. When you hear that a continuing resolution or a fiscal year 2011 appropriation for HHS has been approved, you will be expected to return to work on your next regular duty day.
For additional furlough guidance, please refer to the Question and Answer document and the Office of Personnel Management's website at www.opm.gov/furlough/furlough.asp and www.opm.gov/furlough2011.
Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, CDC, and
Administrator, ATSDR
