The story of last week was snow, ice and chaos. Businesses are counting the cost due to problems like deliveries failing to arrive, the drop in customer footfall and especially employees being unable to make the journey into work. With schools closing, child care became an issue for many. Hospitals were overflowing with breaks and sprains, so some employees were forced to phone in sick. Equally employers know that some staff took advantage of a ‘snowy day’. Employees abandoning cars and being marooned in their homes is not an every day occurrence and therefore some employers were unprepared for dealing with the problems of last week.
The novelty of the weather has well and truly worn off, so now is the time when employers have to plan for future adverse weather situations. In the Employment Department, we have received many queries from employers in relation to whether staff can be asked to take holiday or unpaid leave if they could not get into the office. The answer, as in most aspects of the employer and employee relationship, is that there is a balance to be struck. An employer must make employees aware of their Adverse Weather Policy i.e. that holiday or unpaid leave must be taken if the weather prevents them from getting to their place of work. However all employers must act with regard to the health and safety of their employees and not act unreasonably by putting undue pressure on their staff.
With further cold weather forecast, it seems that employers should act now, in order to minimise costs as soon as possible. They should also consider a long term ‘Business Continuity Policy’ to provide for remote computer access or indeed telephone conferencing when employees cannot get into work. Such a policy can be put in place in order to ensure that their business can remain operational in the face of ‘extreme’ weather, well ‘extreme’ for the UK.
If you would like any further advice, please contact a member of the Employment Department.