· If employees are unable to get into work, they are not normally entitled to be paid
· However for absences due to genuine travel difficulties, employers may wish to use their discretion as to whether they pay or not
· It is usually inappropriate to invoke disciplinary sanctions for employees who arrive late or not at all in these situations but consideration should be taken on a case by case basis
· Where the employer instructs the member of staff to stay at home, then the employer will be liable to pay the employee for his or her contractual hours (normally 7.5 hours per day for site based employees)
· In a situation where the employer cannot offer any work, for example, where the client has decided to shut the site, the employee is entitled to be paid for that day
Alex Meikle, ECA head of employee relations, said, ‘Every employer has a duty of care to their employees and safety at work is paramount. However, it is also important to make employees aware that it may be necessary to make additional effort or alternative arrangements to get in to work during periods of bad weather, so that the business doesn’t suffer and jobs are safeguarded.’
