More than half of UK employers do not pay their workers when freak weather prevents them from coming into work, according to research.
Much of the UK has seen snowfall in the past few days, leaving employers counting the cost of lost hours and productivity as employees subsequently fail to get into work
More than half (52%) of employers polled by HR consultancy Croner believe that adverse weather is insufficient grounds for additional paid leave.
With occurrences of freak weather on the rise, Croner is advising that although bosses are well within their rights to cut employees’ pay, they should be looking at reasonable ways to help staff continue their work – and get paid.
Richard Smith, employment law expert at Croner, said: “Come rain, hail or shine, all staff have a contract with their employer to show up for work each day. Although not a legal requirement, having an ‘adverse weather policy’ could help in certain situations to avoid conflict or confusion should an employee be late for work or fail to attend all together.”
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Companies need to adopt a common sense approach to weather-related absence, Smith said.
“Although it may be inconvenient when staff can’t get to work, employers should not risk putting employees in danger by encouraging them to drive in unsafe conditions in an attempt to get to work,” he said. “Above all, employers need to consider whether the benefits of paying staff in times of severe weather outweigh the cost of the working hours lost. A small act of goodwill by UK bosses may go a long way towards keeping a happy, hard-working and safe workforce.”
