Extreme weather and work. Advice please.

lynni_2

onebusybee wrote: »

If you are unable to attend work due to snow / ice and road closures is it possible for your employers to give any form of disaplinary?
I was off work ill last week and could not get in today due to road conditions and now paranoid if I can't get in again tomorrow and rest of week it may be taken against me.
I love my job, it gives me my independence but it really isn't worth risking my life on horrendous roads to get there. Plus most of the routes I use for work have now been closed off by the police.

Your right it defo isnt worth your life

jem16

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

More importantly, what happens to the people who are waiting for the carer to bathe, feed or toilet them?

I agree - this is extremely important too. That's where you hope neighbours or family members will be available in emergency situations.

My daughter-in-law did manage to get to her clients last night but this morning conditions are worse again and carers could be risking their own lives trying to get to people.

It's a difficult situation all round.

jem16

jackieb wrote: »

I'm a care worker. My manager has tried to cover shifts for the rest of this week with people who live in town. I only work relief so i'm not sure how it affects those who can't get in (i'm guessing they have to make up their hours somehow).

She's been told it's council policy to use annual leave.

jackieb

getmore4less wrote: »

If on volutary cover then ask for pay to cover some of the extra time.

It's not voluntary. It's relief for when people are off sick or on annual leave, or they just don't have enough cover. I still get paid.

jem16 wrote: »

She's been told it's council policy to use annual leave.

I don't work for the council. Everyone has different policies. I don't think that's the case with the company I work for though. I'm pretty certain they have to try and make up their hours somehow.

Huomenna

I'm very lucky - I got up this morning with the full intention of going to work provided that it was still open, despite alot of snow fall in the night. Before I got the chance to ring work and check, my boss rang my house phone and said 'We're open, but we've only had one customer and the roads aren't really safe so I suggest you stay at home - of course we'll pay you because it's not your fault.' He lives down the same road as me though so he's already driven the route I would have to do - it probably made him more sympathetic as he said a car spun out in front of him.

jackieb

Sounds like you have a decent boss.

GavB79

Depends on the size of the organisation too. If you have 200 staff and only one says they can't get in due to weather, I think it would be reasonable to hold a disciplinary depending on their proximity to work. If you have 200 staff and 100 don't come in, you should probably be a bit more lenient and understanding...

Boonbetty

I did finally manage to get in to work today after we finished digging out my neighbour's car that had got stuck in the snow across our exit. However I was told that if I didn't make it in, then I would have to take it as leave. This seems unreasonable to me as I will need the leave that I have left to go on holiday. I was also told that staff who have no leave left can make up the time. Surely I should be given that option too?

wuckfit

I invested in some winter tyres for my car. I've not had any problems getting anywhere. My job doesn't require me to drive places for work, but at the same time I've not been there that long and want to give a good impression of making the effort to get to work. as I'm on casual hours on a zero hr contract, anything that gives me the edge against other employees with regards to reliablilty is money well spent.
It cost me over £500 for a set of steel wheels and winter tyres, which the garage will swap back to my normal wheels in spring, and again to the winters next november, etc. the cost of the OEM steels and winter tyres as a package was cheaper long term than paying for tyres and balancing/valves twice a year.
For anyone who depends on their car to get to work I can't recommend them highly enough.

MrRedundant

I think what people need to remember is that there are many many chances out there who make zero effort to come into work in these conditions. The fact is (not all) most places in the UK have access to buses, trains, cars, taxis, walk etc. Now yes roads have been closed for periods, buses arent running all the times and trains are the same but very very few places are finding all methods completely cut off continually. Yes you might not be able to drive but what stops you getting a train or bus? Yes these might not be on the normal service but they may be on at other times.

Unfortunately employers have hard decisions to make in these circumstances and need a consistent policy and its more so becoming get in or usual leave be it paid or unpaid. I dont blame them for this.

A friend is a manager in a call centre and has been tasked today with proving to chancers they could have got in if they wanted; likewise they have been sending staff to other offices and so on - funny how they make any excuse to not go there too! I am afraid as the week goes on the more likely discliplinaries are as staff have now had time to sort things out.

Re the care. All care contracts normally place a reasonable amount of the award on continuency plans. This can involve on occasions shorter visits, different staff, resource sharing or lots of other things the upshot is essential care is almost always delivered