Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently introduced a subscriber-based capability of providing updates on the status of the federal government. Subscriptions are available to anyone, and currently, 10,700 individuals have signed up.

"Because OPM is the chief agency that determines when the government opens and closes due to weather or emergency conditions, receiving government operating status updates quickly is critical to anyone who has a relationship with the federal government," stated Acting Director Dan G. Blair. "So much is dependent on this information that we developed an immediate way of providing it."

Agencies, employees, and anyone interested in knowing when the federal government's operation status is changed can receive e-mail updates notifying them of the operating status by going to this website, https://www.opm.gov/status/subscribe.aspx, and providing their name and e-mail address. In the event the federal government is closed or has delayed openings, subscribers will receive an e-mail shortly after the update of the federal government's operating status webpage.

Operating status of the government is particularly critical during the workday when most federal employees do not have access to news outlets such as television. For example, agencies may need to initiate shelter-in-place for an actual emergency, and will use updates to help keep employees informed as to the status of government.

"In this day and age, it's imperative the federal government provide timely updates so fellow agencies, employees, and others can make decisions that affect their personal and professional lives," said Blair.

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Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.