Severe Weather Conditions – Employment Tips for your Business

 

What happens if your employees did not make it to their place of work because of severe weather conditions?

Unless you have contractually promised to provide transport for employees to and from their place of work, the onus is on the employee to get to work. If an employee fails to turn up for work in these circumstances the employer is under no obligation to pay them.

Points to consider:

• Putting in place an adverse weather or similar policy should help reduce scope for confusion.
• If an employee’s normal mode of transport cannot be used because of the weather an employer should encourage the employee to explore alternative means of safe transport.
• Consider whether an employee could usefully work from home.
• Consider how absences or lateness due to severe weather conditions will be treated, for example, time off work will be unpaid, or paid on a discretionary basis or the employee can take the time off as paid leave.

For more advice on employers rights in severe weather conditions, please visit our teams and contact a member of our employment team.