Arctic conditions don’t have to leave UK workplaces snowed under

05 January 2010

The severe weather already affecting much of Britain and school closures affecting parts of the country do not necessarily have to mean major problems for employers, suggests the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. A combination of technology and common sense on the part of employers and employees can minimise the impact for many argues the Institute.

Where people can log in to work from home – or where the time can be used to focus on thinking time, there is a real opportunity to minimise the cost to business of the travel chaos.

However, many employers will be affected, with many job roles not able to be fulfilled through home working and other employees left with extra childcare responsibilities as schools close down because of the snow. In these cases difficult decisions on how to manage employees who have not been able to make it into work will have to be made.

Rebecca Clake, Organisation and Resourcing Adviser at the CIPD, said:

“Employers need to carefully consider opportunities and options available if the weather conditions do stop employees making it in. Many companies that have put in place the technology and management practices to allow home working, reap the benefits at a time like this.

“The crude millions-of-pounds estimates of the cost to the economy of bad weather often don’t take into account the millions of motivated workers who will be remotely working or if access to emails is not possible using the time to focus on planning or to reflecting on work processes and practices.

Managing employees unable to get to work or affected by school closures

“Of course, many types of work simply cannot be done from home, and some employers may struggle to operate their business. These employers will be working hard to get those employees who have made it in to operate the business as best they can, even if that means turning their hands to tasks not normally part of their day jobs.

“Employees can reasonably be expected to do their best to get into work on foot, or where travel is less badly affected. Where employees are genuinely unable to get in, and this can be demonstrated to the employer, decisions will have to be taken as to whether to allow line managers to use their discretion in granting special leave, whether to require employees to take annual leave, or whether to shut down operations altogether. There is no right or wrong answer to these questions, but employers must take care to be consistent in the way that they make the necessary decisions – guided by existing policies where relevant.

The need for common sense

“Overall, much of this comes down to common sense. Employees should have the sense to try to get in without taking unnecessary risks. But also to speak to their employers if they are unable to get in, and not just treat the snow as automatic permission to take an unannounced holiday. Equally, employers should make clear to employees that they should not risk life and limb to get to work, and be understanding if employees need to leave early to avoid getting stranded unnecessarily on their way home – particularly if conditions worsen during the working day. Where employees are required to drive for work, employers also have a health and safety duty to ensure drivers are allowed extra time to complete journeys and factor in alternative routes – and that they are not pressurised to complete any journeys made dangerously difficult by the weather.”

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