Storm Ciara – What Happens With My Work?

10 February 2020

"What happens if I can't get to work during Storm Ciara?"

It looks as though the UK is currently being hit by quite a storm, and this happens every once in a while in our English weather. But, how does this affect your work schedule and rights?

Firstly, the employees' safety has to be paramount and this means that if someone is unable to get to work due to the storm then employers are encouraged to be flexible as much as possible where the business continues to operate as normal. There could be many reasons why employees are unable to get to work and that ranges from flooding, to damage to vehicles due to the weather or perhaps cancelled and delayed public transportation.

For an employee, it is most important to contact the workplace as early as possible to give them time to prepare for your non-attendance. For the business, it is important to have that flexibility in place and explore options with your employee – for example, could they work from home instead?

Employees do not have an automatic right to be paid just because they are not able to attend the workplace. However, alternatives such as unpaid time off should be carefully considered – for example, if a child's school has closed due to the weather, this will inevitably make it more difficult for the employee to attend the workplace and some flexibility is required and encouraged. If, on the other hand, the business has had no choice but to close its doors and not operate then employees ought to be paid for the time off as they were willing and able to undertake their duties.

Gepp Solicitors in Essex are Experts in Employment Law

Our team of expert employment lawyers in Essex are on hand to help guide you through any employment issues. Please do not hesitate to contact our team on 01245 228141 or via e-mail.

This is not legal advice; it is intended to provide information of general interest about current legal issues.