Many parts of the UK are currently facing adverse snow and severe weather warnings, with conditions particularly challenging throughout the Highlands and Aberdeenshire. In some areas, the weather has been so extreme that public transport has been cancelled, leaving employees stranded and unable to travel to work. As a result, many businesses have been forced to close their doors. These conditions have brought daily life to a standstill and left employers concerned about how disruption will impact payroll and employee pay. Ongoing weather warnings have made travelling to and from work unsafe or impossible, creating uncertainty for both businesses and employees until conditions improve.
We have had a large volume of clients asking, ‘do I have to pay employees for snow days’, so we thought it would be a great opportunity to answer this question once and for all.
Do I have to pay employees for snow days?
While it is generally the employee’s responsibility to get to and from work, the situation changes if an employer decides to close their business. If the workplace is closed and employees are willing and able to work, they should be paid as normal. Where an employee is unable to attend work due to travel disruption and the business remains open, there is usually no obligation to pay them for the time they have not worked.
Give employee options
Despite the fact that you may not need to offer employee compensation, it’s important that you give options. This is a stressful time for everyone and it is important that you support your team during this time.
You can encourage employees to explore alternative means of safe transport If their normal mode of transport cannot be used due to severe weather conditions.
Working from home
If you feel that alternative travel is unsafe for your employee, you can suggest that they work from home. If you are confident that your staff have the appropriate equipment at home, working from home can relieve stress for you and your employee. This is a great way to continue your business as normal without putting your staff in any danger.
You can look at offering annual leave if flexible working is not a viable option for staff.
Annual Leave
If working from home is not a viable option, you can suggest your employee can request to take the time off as paid annual leave. This can be a big relief for your staff.
If your staff don’t want to use their holidays, you can also suggest that they can make up their hours at another.
Your employees are entitled to pay if you close
It’s important to remember that employees are entitled to their normal rate of pay if the business is unable to open. You could look to put them on annual leave if included in their contract.
We hope this has answered your question, ‘ Do I have to pay employees for snow days? ‘. For more information on employee compensation contact us at The HR Booth.
