UK business facing big chill with employees failing to get to work

With the country set to endure more arctic conditions throughout the week, UK businesses could be facing their own big chill if employees heed the advice of police and motoring organisations and stay at home.

The Met Office is expecting further sub-zero temperatures with heavy snowfalls in many areas, which could leave employers counting the cost of lost time and productivity when employees fail to get into work.

And according to Croner Consulting, the UK’s largest provider of in-depth advice and practical support for business, companies could catch a cold unless they have a clear adverse weather policy in place that is fully understood by their staff.

Whenever bad weather hits, hundreds of employees across the country call in reporting blocked roads or public transport disruptions.

But with public transport chiefs and local authorities assuring travellers that they are fully prepared for the first serious cold snap of the winter, employers could be within their rights to penalise a worker if they feel that unreasonable absence has occurred.

Richard Smith, employment law expert at Croner Consulting, which is part of Wolters Kluwer UK, is advising businesses to take a common-sense approach to weather-related absence, but to ensure that their workforce knows the consequences of overstating their transport problems.

He says: Conditions in many parts of the UK this week have been dreadful, and in several areas, workers have quite legitimately been unable to get into work. As frustrating as this can be, employee safety has to be a priority and there’s not an awful lot that can be done about it.

However, questions arise when some employees make it into the office when others from the same area say they can not. Employers need to be careful not to jump to conclusions, as it could easily be the case that one part of the area is more accessible than the other, but they also need to make staff aware that they are obliged to make every reasonable effort to get into work if they can.

Having an adverse weather policy in place which clarifies the consequences of being late for work or failing to attend altogether, or of needing to leave early can help to avoid unnecessary conflict or confusion should adverse weather hit.

Employers could also protect themselves against lost profitability by ensuring contracts clearly state employee rights for unauthorised leave due to bad weather, especially for businesses in areas that are prone to bad weather.

Employers can legitimately refuse to pay for the missed time, and depending on the contract, employees may be required to take the time as annual leave or unpaid leave where holiday time as been exhausted. Alternatively, lost time could be made up by working additional hours at a later date.

Having said all that, employers need to be sensible and, if the weather turns bad and roads become dangerous, they should be willing to offer employees the chance to leave early whilst still paying them as usual if their safety could be in danger.

With the prevalence of home computers and e-mail, it is also much easier for people to work from home if required, with documents being sent to them electronically to help ensure productivity is not too badly affected.

If all parties take a common-sense approach to weather problems from the start, it should ensure that no-one feels the chill too badly.