Should employers pay staff for "Snow" Day

MrC_Beds

SomeBozo wrote: »

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

That doesn't sound right to me. I would argue that the employer would need to demonstrate that the contract of employment contains a clause allowing for a deduction of wages in these circumstances. You turn up for work and the employer says "sorry, I'm not operating the business today, so go home and by the way I won't be paying you"...hmmmm

tigerlily

I live in rural Cornwall and work 15 miles from home in an NHS hospital.
I start work at 8.30am but on Tuesday I couldnt even get out of the village at that point but by midday the road was just about passable so I went into work. As I eventually got there I will be paid for the whole day as usual.
Those people who took the whole day off have to take it as annual leave or lose the days pay.
I think this is fair. I have to say being as I made quite a diificult journey in which took over double the usual time to do and made arrangements to stay in the town last night so I would definately be able to get to work today I would feel REALLY pi**ed off if the people who were at home all day got paid the same as I will be! While I am in no way saying this about everybody who stayed off work yesterday I honestly believe there were alot of people who just fancied the day off to have a play in the snow!!

purple12

Yeah, I work for a local authority. I went to work on Monday but few were there. We were told yesterday that anyone who did not come in on Monday should take the day as annual leave but it could be at the manager's discretion.
I am pretty sure my manager isn't going to insist on it as annual leave but that isn't the 'policy'.

Queenieviolet

I think if you are available to work the contracted hours you are available for, and the employer tells you not to come, you should get paid. You were available.

surreysaver

MrC_Beds wrote: »

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

Employers will try it on. How can anybody forsee that the snow would prevent people getting to work, or prevent their child's carer from attending?

ls5596

Hiya, what do people think about my situation? I commute for an hour to work (on a normal day). I live in a rural area up high. My work told people not to come in on Thursday due to it being to dangerous as there was 2-3 inches of snow in the local area and roads were dangerous. On Friday, they told people to come in as the snow had cleared in the local area and the roads had been treated. However, my area was surrounded by a whole foot of snow, with some roads closed, others not gritted, and witnessed neighbours give up going to work after skidding or failing to plough through the snow in their cars. I would argue that that it was too dangerous for me to come in on the Friday, even more dangerous than it was on the Thursday when we had 'only' 6-8 inches, and thus should they not treat that leave the same as the Thursday? Had I worked in any reasonable walking distance, I would have gladly walked in.

elisamoose

What about a school ? My holidays are the school ones ( I get paid for 25 days- the rest unpaid) so I cant take the day as a days holiday . Do you think they could insist on 2 days being worked in the holidays ( Head closed the school for 2 days .1st one I would not have got in , today buses were running and snow only bad during the working day)

I think we will all get paid though -can you imagine the cost ?

SomeBozo

To the last 2 posters.

In a nutshell you could not make it to work due to weather conditions.

The upshot is you will probably not be be paid for the day not at work unless :

1) Your company has a "inclement" or "disruption to tranpsort" policy stating what should happen.
2) Your contract otherwise states that you should be paid for days you do not attend due to circumstances outside you and your employers control.

BOzo

bestpud

Maybe they can get away with this, but I have to say, I'd not be pleased if it were me!!

If I took a day off because my child was ill, or I could not make it in due to the weather, then I would expect not to be paid.

If my employer instructed me not to come in because they were closing for the day then I would be very miffed at not being paid for it. Why should an employee lose a days annual leave when they were prepared to go in and had been give no notice? Different if they were told in advance that it would be closed due to maintenance, or something similar, but not on the morning!

Seems a blimming cheek to me!!

chuckley

no transport options = everybody still get paid