Q: It seems that we hear something like “non-essential employees” should not report every time we have very inclement winter weather. With utmost due respect, what are non-essential employees?
—Lance DeLoach, Thomaston
A: An explanation lies in the definition of and decisions related to who is an essential employee.
Essential employees are individuals whose duties become even more important during inclement weather or other emergency situations, and who must report to work despite state office closures, according to the Georgia Department of Administrative Services website.
“An agency may determine that it is essential to continue certain functions during an emergency office closure. Employees whose functions are deemed essential may be required to work, rather than excused from duty,” according to rules of the State Personnel Board. The board provides policy direction for the administration of state personnel.
Employees are designated essential or deemed essential due to unusual circumstances within the discretion of the agency head, Jill Fike Tatum, assistant commissioner of government affairs communications for the agency, told Q&A on the News via email. For example, essential employees would likely include transportation department workers and public safety officers.
Q&A on the News runs Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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