It's 'snow' excuse

A YouGov survey commissioned by workplace experts Croner, part of Wolters Kluwer UK, has revealed that eight per cent of employees use bad weather conditions as an excuse to not turn up to work.

The survey of 1,198 British workers found that an increasing number of people are using severe weather conditions such as flooding, ice or snow as a reason to take a ësickieí.

Of the two sexes, men were found to be the most likely to use this as an excuse at nine per cent, while women ñ although not too far behind - were not so likely at six per cent.

People working in Scotland are most likely to make the call to their boss blaming poor weather conditions for staying at home (12 per cent), while employees in London are the least likely (5 per cent).

And, perhaps not surprisingly, employees under the age of 55 are more inclined to get ësnowed iní than their more mature colleagues with people over 55 preferring to make their way to work, displaying that British bulldog spirit.

With wintry weather upon us, employers are consequently faced with the issues of valuable lost time eventually leading to company loss, as more employees are late for work or decide to not report into work all together due to the weather.

In due course, this sees a drop in productivity and can potentially have a significant impact on overall team performance and more importantly team morale.

Croner is advising that although bosses are well within their rights to cut employeesí pay, they should be looking at reasonable ways to help staff continue their work - and get paid.

Cronerís Employment expert Jo Pitts is urging employers to communicate coherently to employees to ensure they find the right balance of handling ësicknessí when the weather strikes.

Jo comments: ìAlthough ultimately there needs to be flexibility from employers when extreme weather sets in, staff also need be aware of the consequences of using bad weather as a reason not to turn up to work.

ìEmployees should thoroughly read through contracts (or adverse weather policies if there is one already in place) and obey the terms and conditions of this for when bad weather arrives. Failure to do so could result in serious disciplinary action if employees are found to be taking advantage and making it a regular occurrence.

ìBad weather can create workplace stress as well as uncertainty for both employers and employees, not to mention the financial impact with loss of hours. Employers can reduce this loss of time, money and stress by enforcing well communicated guidelines detailing how to handle any weather related absences.

ìThis way, employees will have more respect for their bosses and employers will have a happy and hardworking workforce but most importantly a safe workforce!î