Snow: A guide for employers on pay, leave, safety and employee rights during severe weather

Snow, ice and extreme temperatures continue to plunge the UK into chaos, meaning that HR and employers have more people-related challenges than usual regarding: absence and attendance, pay, leave, health and safety and the rights of their staff.

This page collates all content from Personnel Today, XpertHR and beyond, relevant to the freezing weather across Britain and how employers are coping.

• Is an employer required to pay employees who arrive late or do not arrive at all due to disruptions to public transport?
• If an employer closes its business because disrupted public transport prevents employees from attending work does it have to pay its employees?
• If an employer’s business is closed because of, for example, flooding, is it obliged to pay its employees?
• Can an employer require its employees to take holiday at a particular time? 
• Is there a minimum workplace temperature below which employees cannot be expected to work?

Discussions about the snow from HR Space

XpertHR has all the resources an employer will need on the legal and good practice issues involved in managing organisations through severe weather conditions (subscription required):

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Severe weather and disruptions to public transport policy
How to deal with employment issues caused by severe weather or disruptions to public transport

BBC
Q&A: Winter chaos and your rights – although beware of legal inaccuracies as highlighted by David Shepherd here. 
UK weather forecast