What happens if staff can’t get to work in a storm?

Running a business is difficult at the best of times. But extreme weather, such as the recent Storm Éowyn, can really throw a wet and windy spanner in the works.

So, what do you do when your employee shows up late or can’t make it to work because of bad weather? Luckily we're here to give you the lowdown on how to compliantly manage staff lateness and absences.

What do I do when employees can’t make it to work?

When storms strike it can wreak havoc on your staff's commute. Be it by car, train, or bus, BrightHR's data shows lateness can spike by as much as 30 minutes or more during severe weather.

So, how do you handle the downpour of staff lateness? First off, make sure you have an easy way for your employees to let you know if they’re going to be late to work. For example, introducing digital absence management software or a clocking-in app can be an effective way for you to easily see who’s in, who’s MIA, and who’s late to their shift.

Some reasons for lateness are more than fair—poor weather and travel disruption included! But having software to record instances of lateness can help you track and manage recurring issues in a reasonable way.

For instant advice on this topic, ask our superfast AI tool, Brainbox: ‘What do I do about lateness?’

When to let people work from home

Just because your staff can’t make it into work, doesn’t mean it’s a day off! Allowing employees to work from home might not suit every business, that's understandable—but it’s one policy you might want to consider to keep things running smoothly if your employees are having trouble battling the elements on their way to or from work.

For more info on this topic, try asking Brainbox: ‘What happens if my employee can’t get to work because of storms?’

What do I do if I have to close because of severe weather?

We’ve talked about what happens if your employee can’t get to you. But what do you do if the weather is so severe you can’t open your business?

Fingers crossed it doesn't come to this—but if you can’t open your business due to the extreme conditions that the lovely UK weather throws our way, then the law steps in.

If you’re closed for just a day or two, you might choose to pay your employees as usual. But you don’t have to—you can stop payment from day one of closure.

If your business stays closed for a longer period, continuing to pay everyone may not be possible. Though you'll need to pay Statutory Guarantee Pay (SGP) if they’ve worked for you for over a month to help with their loss of earnings.

For more info, try asking Brainbox: 'What happens if I can’t open my office because of bad weather?'

Need more support?

Severe weather can strike when you least expect it. That’s why it’s worth putting a severe weather policy in place now, so you can make sure your people management stays calm before the storm.

Lucky for you our experts have crafted one, so you don’t have to! Download BrightHR’s FREE severe weather policy. Protect your business and make sure staff know their rights and your responsibilities when it comes to bad weather.