Snow days. What should you do as an employer?

We aren’t very good at managing snow in the UK. So what should employers do when there are ‘snow days? These may only happen once or twice a year but you should be prepared. The overarching thought here is that employers have a duty of care to not put their employees at risk. So if it isn’t safe to come in, don’t make your employees try and do so.

That said, there’s a number of things to consider.

Snow days don’t mean automatic working from home.

Employees should talk to their employer about working from home, taking leave, or making time up later if they cannot get to work because of travel or weather disruption. We’ve listed possible options for you to consider when a snow day occurs. Bear in mind that the sector you work in and the size of organisation you are may make some of these suggestions unworkable.

Payment on a snow day. Whilst employees are not automatically entitled to pay if they’re unable to get to work because of bad weather, equally the employer can’t deduct pay if the workplace is closed due to disruption. Some employers might offer pay when an employee cannot get to work due to disruption. If they do, they should make this clear in their employees’ contracts. If there’s nothing in the contract about pay in these circumstances, an employer does not have to pay an employee.
Flexible working or holiday? Where roles allow for it to happen, they can work from home or make up time later in the week. Meetings could be moved online instead of in person. Clearly in a role which requires work at a fixed location, such as manufacturing, this may not be possible. Shift patterns may not allow for time to be made up. In this case, employers may ask staff to take paid annual leave.
Move locations. Do you have more than one site? Is one easier to reach than the normal place of work? If roles can be transferred, this is an option to consider on a snow day.
Use other modes of transport. Don’t feel safe driving on a snow day? Will public transport be a better option?

Communication on a snow day.

As circumstances can change quickly, communication is key. This works both ways. Employees should contact their line manager if they are unable to make it in but equally employers should keep their teams aware of changing conditions. This includes when the team are already in work. It is also a good idea to communicate with customers, especially those outside the local area who may be experiencing very different conditions.

Be prepared

Lastly, rather than react, its a good idea to plan ahead. Whilst you may not need a full policy, you should consider how you can make consistent decisions. Snow days may not come along often, but you should formulate a clear plan of action for when they do.