Icy roads, what are my rights at work

bugslet

chubsta wrote: »

Weirdly, I have always found that although in snowy weather plenty of people can't manage to get to work, everyone somehow always manages to get home...

One year at the site we are on in Herts, the snow came down that quickly mid-afternoon, that several hundred people stayed on site for the night rather than risk going home.

Though on the whole I agree with you!;)

motorguy

Andy_L wrote: »

This thread seems to show that "the rest of us" don't have to.

Does it? I think it shows "the rest of us" show commitment to get to work.

scaredofdebt

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Yeah. I was in the wrong job for all my working life. First sign of snow and all the schools now shut up shop. When I was a kid I can recall very few situations when the schools closed for snow. 'Elf n Safety gone mad.
Hopefully any 'in service' days will be cancelled now to ensure the pupils get the full period of education. After all, if taking a kid out for a couple of days for holiday is damaging, it must be just as damaging if learning has to be crammed into fewer days.

I lived in Scotland in 1977 and 1978 and was sent home from school if it started snowing and the forecast was bad. Probably 4 or 5 times during that winter alone.

But yes, they do seem to close nowadays at a slight hint of snow, I think it's because nowadays teachers don't live locally quite often.

mac.d

scaredofdebt wrote: »

But yes, they do seem to close nowadays at a slight hint of snow, I think it's because nowadays teachers don't live locally quite often.

More likely its down to health & safety. If the school can't guarantee that the playgrounds and all areas around the school buildings are clear of ice/snow, and someone's precious child falls and injures themselves, they'll put in a claim against the school/council!

motorguy

xapprenticex wrote: »

I think its simply a case of it being difficult for teachers to reach work (many dont live in the same town/city as the school they work in), get home in the evening and chance of children slipping in the ice. I can imagine the playing field being pretty slippy.

Just my opinion.

Bless their little cotton socks. I'm so proud of them!

I dont even live on the same landmass as where i work, yet i still manage to get here by 09:00 on a Monday morning - and this week that entailed heavy snow back home, then a car journey, a flight, a train, a tram and a walk.....

scaredofdebt

Back to the OP.

It's all down to what is reasonable at the end of the day. If you CANNOT get to work SAFELY due to the weather then your employer cannot take any disciplinary action against you, the worse case scenario is they can make you take a day as unpaid.

However, if most of your colleagues can get into work then the employer can reasonably expect you to do the same. If the buses and trains are running, then use those, it's not your employers fault that you rely on a motorbike.

motorguy

scaredofdebt wrote: »

Back to the OP.

It's all down to what is reasonable at the end of the day. If you CANNOT get to work SAFELY due to the weather then your employer cannot take any disciplinary action against you, the worse case scenario is they can make you take a day as unpaid.

However, if most of your colleagues can get into work then the employer can reasonably expect you to do the same. If the buses and trains are running, then use those, it's not your employers fault that you rely on a motorbike.

However for repeated absences they could very easily take you through the HR processes for absence and manage you out.

A one off = yes. Repeated = potential Adios Amigo!

scaredofdebt

Define "repeated".

If it was "bad weather" for two days they couldn't get rid of anyone.

lincroft1710

chubsta wrote: »

Weirdly, I have always found that although in snowy weather plenty of people can't manage to get to work, everyone somehow always manages to get home...

Back in 1979 tried to go home on 2 different routes, but both impassable due to snow and ice, so spent the night at a colleague's house.

motorguy

scaredofdebt wrote: »

Define "repeated".

If it was "bad weather" for two days they couldn't get rid of anyone.

"Repeated" as in whatever the particular companys HR policy deems as unreasonable over any given period.