Severe winter weather has caused travel disruption this morning (12 December) in a week where thousands of commuters will be hit by train strikes.
The Met Office issued warnings of ice, fog and snow for much of the UK, making driving difficult for many trying to get to work. The London Underground was also affected by snow and ice, with all lines impacted apart from the Waterloo and City line.
Southeastern Railways has advised passengers not to travel after cancelling a number of trains to carry out safety checks.
Workers already face major disruption in their commutes this week with strike action due to shut down much of the UK’s rail network. The RMT, TSSA and Unite unions will stage strikes on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday this week, with limited services running between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
For the rest of the period a combination of limited industrial action and pre-planned Christmas engineering works will leave the railway with a reduced timetable.
Winter disruption
Hospitality businesses that had been due to host work Christmas parties this week have been badly affected, with trade body UKHospitality estimating that revenues will be hit by £.15bn as 30% of bookings have been cancelled on strike days.
Legally, employers can refuse to pay an employee who does not appear for work because of severe weather, but common sense and the risk of reputational damage suggest flexibility is the best option.
Kate Palmer, HR advice and consultancy director at Peninsula, said: “Though it is an employee’s responsibility to arrive at work on time, employers will need to exercise understanding of everyone’s individual circumstances.
“Under health and safety legislation, employers must ensure that staff who drive for work are fit, competent, and capable of handling severe driving conditions, while also ensuring that staff don’t undertake a hazardous journey.
“For instance, asking employees who depend on public transport to work when the service is affected could lead to them being in an accident, especially in hazardous driving conditions. If that happens, employers face an increased risk of an employee claim.”
Employers could also ask employees to use annual leave or banked time off in lieu, Palmer added. In extreme cases, it could prove more sensible to close the business for the day.
“If you still have lots of staff who can’t get into work, it could be tricky to resume business as normal.
“In this case, you could decide that it’s more cost-efficient to close for the day, in which case you’ll need to pay their usual rate unless you have a specific ‘lay-off’ clause in your contracts,” she explained.
“Obviously it is not possible for all businesses, but where employees can work from home that could be the simplest and most cost-effective solution.
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“Employers should have a severe weather policy in place outlining the business’s expectations. This policy will confirm what staff should do in severe conditions, what they are entitled to, and the steps you have taken to keep the workplace and your employees safe.”
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