Employers – Do you have a Bad Weather policy?

As we approach the middle of winter and the unpredictable weather that it brings, there will inevitably be days when the roads and transport networks struggle to cope with the weather conditions. When that happens, some employees will find themselves unable to get to work and employers will have to deal with questions over pay and absence. In this blog, we look at how to manage this situation and what policies you should have in place.

At Backhouse Solicitors, we review the employment handbooks and policies of many new clients each year and often find that few have policies in place to deal with bad weather. Our advice to employers is to take the time now to review and update your Bad Weather policy if you have one, or if not, to put one in place. If you are unsure where to start, read the following article or pick up the phone and speak to one of our employment law experts who can talk you through what you need to do.

A Bad Weather Policy should explain to employees:

• the steps their employer expects them to take to try and get to work on time
• how the business will continue if they cannot get into work (e.g. working remotely)

It goes without saying that a policy is only useful if employees know about it and understand what is expected of them, which is why we help our clients communicate their policies to all staff. Web-based policies are a simple way to achieve this (and easy to update), but more traditional printed copies available to all are perfectly acceptable.

Employees don’t have a legal right to be paid if they are late due to travel disruptions or delays, and this includes being unable to get to work because of bad weather.  Employers however would be unwise to dock pay without a Bad Weather policy in place, as employees could bring an Employment Tribunal claim for unlawful deduction from wages.

If you have a question about how to manage staffing issues during bad weather then our expert employment law solicitors are here to help.  We can give one-off advice or help you put a Bad Weather policy in place and communicate it to your staff to avoid unnecessary disruption to your business. Contact us today book a free initial consultation with one of our friendly team.

Tel:          01245 893400
Email:     info@backhouse-solicitors.co.uk
Visit:       17 Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1JU
Or send us a message through the Contact Us page on this website.