Federal Government Closed on Monday

By Ed O'Keefe





The federal government will be closed on Monday in the Washington area, according to the Office of Personnel Management, as the region continues to plow out of an historic snowstorm.

OPM Director John Berry decides when to close federal offices in the Washington area. He convened a conference call with local and state government and transportation officials Sunday afternoon during which they determined a Monday morning commute would be too unsafe, officials said.

Despite Monday's operating status, emergency personnel must still report as necessary.

The decision also means a day off for most of the region's private sector, which uses the federal government's operating status as a guide. Virtually all academic institutions in the region will also shutter on Monday.

Closing the federal government for one day costs taxpayers roughly $100 million in lost productivity, a price tag Berry said weighs heavily on his final decisions.

Berry mandated unscheduled leave last Wednesday and Friday due to the snow. Monday's closure is the first closure of the calendar year and the second of the Obama administration.

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