FSIS COVID-19 Information Sheet 

March 1 9, 20 20 

Requests for leave will be determined on a case-by-case basis and one pay period at a time within the parameters allowed by OPM, CDC, USDA and FSIS regulations and/or 

policies/guidelines. When an employee’s absence will need to extend beyond a pay period, the employee and supervisor should maintain ongoing communication regarding the 

employee’s continuing need to be absent from work due to COVID-19 (personal or family care purposes). All employee medical information must be kept confidential. 

If Then Leave/Telework Options 

Employee is not sick. Expected to report for work/telework as 

scheduled. 

If you are a telework-eligible employee and are not sick, you are expected to begin work as 

scheduled at your approved telework location. 

Employee self-certifies to be at a higher risk 

(older adults and people of any age with serious 

chronic medical conditions such as heart 

disease, lung disease or diabetes, conditions 

that compromise the immune system) of severe 

illness from COVID-19 and is not exhibiting 

symptoms. 

Contact supervisor to notify of selfcertification of health status. Follow the CDC or state/local health department guidelines. Supervisors may grant weather 

and safety leave during the period of self-quarantine for employees that are not telework 

eligible. Telework-eligible employee should telework if able to do so and has supervisory 

approval. 

Employee is sick. Contact supervisor, request leave, and 

contact your medical care provider. 

Accrued/advanced sick/annual leave; earned compensatory time off or travel compensatory 

time off; earned credit hours for those employees on a maxiflex schedule; or leave without pay 

(LWOP). A telework-eligible employee may telework if able to do so and has supervisory 

approval. 

Employee becomes sick during work hours. Contact supervisor to request leave and 

contact your medical care provider. 

Accrued/advanced sick/annual leave; earned compensatory time off or travel compensatory 

time off; earned credit hours for those employees on a maxiflex schedule; or LWOP. A 

telework-eligible employee may work if able to do so and has supervisory approval. 

Employee directly exposed to COVID-19+ 

individual, but not exhibiting symptoms. 

Contact supervisor to self-certify exposure 

and notify of intent to quarantine* if advised 

to do so by local health authority. 

Follow the CDC or state/local health department guidelines. Supervisors may grant weather 

and safety leave if the employee is ordered to quarantine. A telework-eligible employee 

should telework if able to do so and has supervisory approval. 

Employee directly exposed to COVID-19+ 

individual and exhibiting symptoms. 

Contact supervisor to request leave and 

contact your medical care provider. 

Follow the CDC or state/local health department guidelines. Accrued/advanced sick/annual 

leave; earned compensatory time off or travel compensatory time off; earned credit hours for 

those employees on a maxiflex schedule; or leave without pay (LWOP). A telework-eligible 

employee may telework if able to do so and has supervisory approval. Supervisors may grant 

safety leave if the employee is ordered to quarantine. 

Employee exhibiting symptoms and directed to 

self-isolate* by a local health official. 

Contact supervisor to request leave. Follow the CDC or state/local health department guidelines. Accrued/advanced sick/annual 

leave; earned compensatory time off or travel compensatory time off; earned credit hours for 

those employees on a maxiflex schedule; or leave without pay (LWOP). A telework-eligible 

employee may telework if able to do so and has supervisory approval. Supervisors may grant 

weather and safety leave during the period of isolation to employees not eligible for telework. 

Employee who is not exhibiting symptoms is 

directed to self-quarantine by a local health 

official. 

Contact supervisor to request leave. Follow the CDC or state/local health department guidelines. Supervisors may grant weather 

and safety leave during the period of self-quarantine to employees not eligible to telework. A 

telework-eligible employee should telework if able to do so and has supervisory approval. 

Employee receives a positive test result for 

COVID-19. 

Contact supervisor to request leave and 

follow instructions provided by your medical 

care provider. 

Accrued/advanced sick/annual leave; earned compensatory time off or travel compensatory 

time off; earned credit hours for those employees who work a maxiflex schedule; or LWOP. A 

telework-eligible employee may telework if able to do so and has supervisory approval. 

Supervisors may grant weather and safety leave during the period of quarantine to employees 

not eligible for telework 

Employee is needed at home for dependent care 

when no symptoms are being experienced (e.g., 

school aged children when schools are closed). 

Contact supervisor to request leave. Accrued/advanced annual leave; earned compensatory time off or travel compensatory time 

off; earned credit hours for those employees who work a maxiflex schedule; or LWOP. A 

telework-eligible employee should telework if able to do so and has supervisory approval 

(must account for periods of work and nonwork when providing care using a combination of 

telework and/or leave as mentioned above). 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FSIS COVID-19 Information Sheet 

March 19, 2020 

Employee is needed at home to provide care for 

a family member who is sick. 

Contact supervisor to request leave. Accrued/advanced sick/annual leave; earned compensatory time off or travel compensatory 

time off; earned credit hours for those employees on a maxiflex schedule; or LWOP. A 

telework-eligible employee should work if able to do so and has supervisory approval (must 

account for periods of work and nonwork when providing care using a combination of 

telework and/or leave as mentioned above). 

Contact of Asymptomatic People Exposed to COVID-19: CDC does not recommend testing, symptom monitoring or special management for people interacting with 

asymptomatic people with potential exposures to COVID-19 (such as in a household), i.e., “contacts of contacts;” these people are not considered exposed to COVID-19. 

*Isolation and quarantine are public health practices used to stop or limit the spread of disease. Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable 

disease from those who are healthy. Isolation restricts the movement of ill persons to help stop the spread of certain diseases. For example, hospitals use isolation for 

patients with infectious tuberculosis. Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease 

to see if they become ill. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms. Quarantine 

can also help limit the spread of communicable disease. 

Practice good hygiene by washing your hands regularly, especially after touching any frequently used item or surface; avoid touching your face; sneeze or cough into a 

tissue, or the inside of your elbow; and frequently disinfect items or surfaces touched. For step-by-step instructions on proper handwashing techniques, please visit: 

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html. 

Practice social distancing. 

Avoid unnecessary shopping trips; and social activities involving 10 or more people. 

Do not visit nursing homes or retirement or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance. 

Follow USDA and CDC guidelines on travel which provides information on what to do when returning from high risk countries, traveling within the United States. If you 

or a travel companion are concerned about an area to which you are traveling, check local public health advisories at your destination. 

The CDC recommends that discretionary travel be avoided. Depending on your unique circumstances, you may choose to delay or cancel such travel. If you do decide 

to travel, ensure you take steps (e.g., washing hands, social distancing) to help prevent getting and spreading COVID-19. 

Stay informed by checking with your local, state public health offices or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for guidance on how to protect yourself and your family 

against contracting COVID-19 and the USDA Be Prepared site for information and travel guidelines. 

Submit your questions, concerns and/or feedback to FSIS Feedback@usda.gov. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posting Weather and Safety Transaction Codes: 

Telework and webTA Timesheets During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

This document provides clarification regarding how employees should record leave and telework. Just 

as the Agency required supervisory approval before the COVID-19 pandemic, employees must receive 

supervisory approval to use leave and/or telework. 

Leave: 

Leave Time Section of the webTA Timesheet: 

• Post Transaction Code [66 – Weather and Safety Leave] for non-telework-eligible employees 

who have a supervisory-approved reasonable accommodation. This applies to employees who 

have self-certified (in writing) to being at high risk for serious illness from COVID-19 based on 

CDC guidelines and whose condition prevents them from safely traveling to, or performing work 

at, an approved location and for whom no accommodation can be provided. The employee is 

expected to be ready and willing to work if work becomes available that can be performed from 

home, or other accommodations become available which allow the employee to safely travel to, 

or perform work at, an approved location. Supervisors can also grant Weather and Safety Leave 

for employees who need to self-quarantine or self-isolate due to the pandemic. 

• If an employee becomes sick, to include contracting COVID-19 while on approved weather and 

safety leave: 

o Post Transaction code [62-Sick Leave] or Transaction code [61-Annual Leave] or LWOP 

etc. in lieu of sick leave, as applicable 

• If an employee on telework or on weather and safety leave is not ready and willing to work 

when work becomes available or is on vacation: 

o Post Transaction code [61-Annual Leave] or LWOP etc., as applicable 

• An employee whose position is eligible for telework but does not telework or report to his/ her 

duty station is not eligible for Weather and Safety Leave. 

Telework: 

Work Time Section of the webTA Timesheet: 

• Post Transaction Code [01 – Reg Time-TeleWork – Other] for additional telework time due to 

the pandemic. 

• Post Transaction Code [01 – Reg Time-TeleWork] for regularly scheduled telework time. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the FSIS Financial Services Center (FSC) at 1-

800-949-3964 or by email at FSCGeneral@USDA.GOV. 

March 19, 2020