(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is ordering all executive branch state office buildings closed to the public on Monday, February 1, 2021, due to the severe winter storm conditions that are anticipated to impact Connecticut.
“This appears to be a significant storm that is about to impact our state, and snowfall is expected to reach rates at times of up to one to two inches per hour, causing whiteout conditions that will make it unsafe to be out on the roads,” Governor Lamont said. “Therefore, we are directing that all Level 2 state employees who have been physically reporting to their office buildings throughout the ongoing pandemic to stay home out of an abundance of caution, and all those who have been working remotely should continue to do so. I strongly encourage everyone in Connecticut to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary, particularly during the height of the storm when these fast snowfall rates will make it dangerous to be on the roads.”
The governor is directing that:
- Level 2 state employees who are able to telework shall telework for the duration of the storm-related closures;
- Level 2 state employees who were designated as Level 1 for the purposes of supporting the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic who are able to telework shall telework for the duration of the storm-related closures unless otherwise directed by their commissioner or agency-head; and
- Level 2 state employees whose job duties cannot be performed via telework should not report to work in-person.
Level 2 state employees are all of those who were previously designated as “nonessential” based on their respective job duties, and Level 1 are those who were previously designated as “essential.” The terminology used for these classifications was modified through an executive order issued in 2018.