With adverse weather conditions forecast, it is a good time to understand how such conditions affect an employment contract and how non-attendance should be dealt with.

The Company should recognise that from time to time employees may be faced with difficulty in attending for work due to extreme weather conditions. A policy should be developed to clarify the time off provisions for employees unable to attend work as a result of adverse weather. Such a policy should be made available to all employees.

The Company should appreciate the difficulties some employees may face travelling to work dependent on the location of their home to the workplace. Employees should use their own reasonable judgement based on actual road conditions prior to undertaking their journey.

Travelling difficulties caused by the location of an employees’ home in relation to their place of work are primarily the responsibility of the employee, and it is the duty of every employee where possible, to report on time to their place of work.

Consideration will be given to each individual employee based on their location and methods of transport available. This will be done in conjunction with weather warnings, road reports and school closure reports and accessibility to alternative methods of transport.

What procedure should be followed?

Employees who experience difficulty in reaching work due to extreme weather conditions must contact their Line Manager as early as possibly and prior to their start time, to explain and discuss the situation.

If the Line Manager agrees that the employee has genuine travel difficulties, or is required to make alternative care arrangements for dependants i.e. school closure due to bad weather, and that all reasonable efforts have been made to report for duty on time, they may grant the employee unpaid time off work or paid time off work.

If the Line Manager does not consider that the employee has made a reasonable attempt to arrive on time, this should be explained to the employee. Where the time off has been paid, the Line Manager may request the employee undertakes additional hours to make up the time lost (where appropriate) or request the employee deducts the time from their holiday entitlement.

Failure to make an informed, reasonable attempt to attend the workplace may be classed as unauthorised absence and result in disciplinary action.

Breach of Policy