As we approach the middle of winter and the unpredictable weather that brings, there will inevitably be days when the roads and transport network 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.
Does your Employment Handbook cover bad weather?
At Backhouse Solicitors, we review the employment handbooks and policies of many new clients each year and we find that surprisingly 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 about how to start one, read the following article or pick up the phone and speak to one of our experts who can talk you through, in more detail, what you need to do.
Creating a Bad Weather Policy
A Bad Weather Policy should explain to employees:
• the steps their employer expects them to take to try and get into work on time; and also
• how the business will continue if they cannot get in (e.g. through home working)
It goes without saying that a policy is only useful if employees know about it. Many employers buy a pack of policies that sit in a drawer and are never used. Employees need to know 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.
What about pay?
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.
Backhouse Solicitors are here to help
If you have a question about how to cope with 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
Our use the Contact Backhouse page of our website.
The Backhouse Solicitors Team
