Do I have to pay employees for snow days?
The adverse weather in the UK has brought the public to a standstill. Many of us are worrying about how this will affect pay roll and employee compensation. Regular enforcements of red and amber warnings makes travelling to and from work almost impossible. This had led to many businesses closing their doors until the weather dramatically improves.
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.
The short answer is that you do not need to pay the employee if they are unable to attend work. The responsibility for employees getting to work does not lie with the employer.
Give employee options
Despite the fact that you do 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
The 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.
