Should employers pay staff for "Snow" Day

Smiley82

I agree with several of the previous posters. Someone who managed to get to work and spent the day being productive would have a right to be annoyed if others who sat at home and played in the snow/looked after childrent etc got the day fully paid.

But in saying that, your employer cannot force you to take your annual leave at such short notice, and if they told you not to come into work, then you should still be entitled to be paid, even if it is with the arrangement that you work some additional hours throughout the rest of the month to recover the time (or 1/2 hour lunches etc).

Employers may not be able to afford to simply pay all employees full pay, without at least attempting to recover the productivity some other way. I think perhaps you should go back to your employer and say that while you appreciate they can't afford to wear the lost day financially, neither can you, and what arrangement can you come to with regards to making up the lost time and still being paid your full wages.

That's what I'd do anyway.....but I've always managed to have a decent relationship with my employers which allowed me to discuss these things openly and fairly.....lucky I guess....they're not all like that!

Whalebox

Smiley82 wrote: »

That's what I'd do anyway.....but I've always managed to have a decent relationship with my employers which allowed me to discuss these things openly and fairly.....lucky I guess....they're not all like that!

So have I - at every other job I've had except this one!!!

nzmegs

I already had a holiday booked for Monday and so didn't go in. Ohters in the office couldn't make it in and so got a day off without having to pay for it. If I hadn't booked the day off (which was wasted stuck at home) I would have got the day off anyway...
Tuesday was a difficult one. I went in and had to go back home as we had childcare issues (schools closed). I was the only one available.I will have to pay those hours back even though there really was nothing I could do.
It hasn't been a case of just the snow causing problems for both employer and employees, but the subsequent closing of schools has been a real pain in the neck.

Bobl

If you didn't go in and were not sick then of course the employer should not have to pay you. You should either take Leave or ask to make up the hours.

And how many times have I heard the 'my children were sick so I couldn't come in', story, well that's not the employers fault, so either take Leave or make up the time.

MrC_Beds

Bobl wrote: »

If you didn't go in and were not sick then of course the employer should not have to pay you. You should either take Leave or ask to make up the hours.

And how many times have I heard the 'my children were sick so I couldn't come in', story, well that's not the employers fault, so either take Leave or make up the time.

The key point here is that the OP was told not to come in (presumably by the employer). Therefore it is a bit rich of him to add a "by the way you will have to take a day's holiday" after the event!

Any firm with a half decent approach to employee relations should have a contractual provision or policy for events like this, so that both parties know what to expect.

As far as the sick children thing goes, firms must give a reasonable amount of unpaid leave for such emergencies. There is no entitlement to paid leave, but some employers will pay it. An employer cannot insist that annual leave allowance is taken to cover this.

3plus1

If your place of work was open and you could have done your normal job had you made it in, I don't see why you should get paid.

Only if the company shut for the day should you feel entitled to something. Was the office closed?

greytdog_2

anyone that couldnt get in to work where i do has to take annual leave, no other option.

Myself and my other half both work for the same place and last time we had the snow i called is to say i couldnt get in till later as my other half was at work. He was on an night shift and told he could not come home until the early shift came in. I was due to be the early shift and couldnt get in until he came home so had no childcare. Our HR dept sent out an email saying "you cannot take carers day or emergency leave as it is not applicable" this is only for emergency use as the snow was forecast the evening before you had time to make other arrangements- like weather reports are always accurate! I am not aware of any childcare that lets you drop kids off at 6 in the morning.

Whalebox

Just to clarify - the business was closed for the day, and everyone was told not to come in.

MrC_Beds

greytdog wrote: »

anyone that couldnt get in to work where i do has to take annual leave, no other option.

Myself and my other half both work for the same place and last time we had the snow i called is to say i couldnt get in till later as my other half was at work. He was on an night shift and told he could not come home until the early shift came in. I was due to be the early shift and couldnt get in until he came home so had no childcare. Our HR dept sent out an email saying "you cannot take carers day or emergency leave as it is not applicable" this is only for emergency use as the snow was forecast the evening before you had time to make other arrangements- like weather reports are always accurate! I am not aware of any childcare that lets you drop kids off at 6 in the morning.

Sounds a bit strange to me. If you could prove that it was not possible to make alternative arrangements, then it would be reasonable for you to take unpaid emergency leave, as you have children to take care of...whether snow is forecast or not. I wonder whether they would have been prepared to argue their position in front of a tribunal! I feel it would have had a snowy response

SomeBozo

Whalebox wrote: »

Just to clarify - the business was closed for the day, and everyone was told not to come in.

Unless your company has a policy for "inclement weather" then closing the business and telling employees not to come in is a vlaid reason not to pay staff.

Bozo