Be Prepared for Winter

Make Sure it’s a Merry Christmas!

With winter well on its way it’s worth anticipating some possible problems that may arise – so we can all have a Merry Christmas!

Adverse weather conditions

Last year we saw some severe weather conditions, with snow and even flooding.  Bad weather can have an adverse affect on business – either because the business has to close or employees are unable to get to work.

Getting to work…

Depending on your business you will need to consider how to handle situations when employees are unable to work or cannot perform their duties in times of adverse weather.

Employees do have a duty to make every reasonable effort to get to work but transport and roads can be heavily affected, which can cause horrendous problems for people.

So what solutions and options are there? Here are just a few to consider:

•     Allow employees to work from home where possible
•     Make temporary adjustment to working patterns
•     Ask staff to take any time off in lieu they are owed
•     Introduce temporary flexible working to allow for possible changes in the weather (especially when employees are leaving at night)
•     Allow employees to take holiday or allow unpaid leave
•     Initiate short time working/lay-off*

These are just some of the options available to an employer in adverse weather. It’s likely a one size fits all approach won’t work so consider what job roles you have, how the incoming workload will be affected and how you can remain as operational as possible.

Once you have worked out your plan, it will need to be communicated to all members of staff to ensure there is no confusion.

What if you have to close the office…?

If you have to close the office, think how you could contact your staff members quickly and easily if you have to shut the office/company. 

Text messaging can be an easy and effective way of contacting people or you may want to call people directly. Whatever you decide, make sure you have ‘up to date’ contact details and let people know how you will contact them in the event that you cannot open.

Paid or unpaid …..?

It’s always a difficult call whether to pay people if they cannot attend work due to the weather. The first step is to look at your contract of employment to see if there are any provisions for bad weather and payment.

Generally if you are going to close the business you will have to implement short-time working/layoff* (you will need the contractual right to do so) or continue to pay employees.

If the office is open, but employees cannot get to work, you are not obliged to pay staff (but please check your contracts of employment). This will obviously cause some disgruntlement from staff so it is far better to set out your policy beforehand so everyone is clear. This should stop any ‘arguments’ if situations do arise.

Other Considerations…

You may need to conduct a risk assessment to ensure it’s safe for your employees to be carrying out their duties? It’s likely that very cold weather may require adjustments for people who work outside for example.

Keep in control…

You can’t control the weather but you can control how it affects your business. Having a clear policy and communicating this with staff will make it easier to manage and reduce the impact of adverse weather on your business.

SEASONAL PARTIES

Many organisations over the next month or so will be holding a staff party or going out on a Christmas ‘do’. Most parties or events go off without a hitch (with the exception of the odd sore head in the morning!). But where does the company stand regarding liability?

A staff party or event can be considered an extension of work and as an employer you have a 'duty of care' towards your employees.

You therefore need to consider your policy and how you want people to behave. The following guidelines should help your party go off with a bang!
 

•     Make it clear that while you want everyone to have a good time, employees are still representing the company and are also required to comply with policies and conduct themselves appropriately. And confirm that disciplinary action will be taken if anyone behaves inappropriately.
•     Make sure at least one senior manager is able to deal with any issues which may arise on the night.
•     Keep vigilant and address anyone who is acting inappropriately, if necessary ask them to go home.

Note: Ideally you should have a clear ‘social events’ policy that covers not only Christmas celebrations but other corporate or company events.

Think about travel arrangements and maybe end the party before public transport stops running. You can also provide the phone numbers for local registered cab companies and encourage employees to use them. Hiring minibuses to take staff home is another option which would probably be greatly appreciated.

You should also consider all your staff when arranging parties or events. For example ensure that there is a mix of music and that any organised entertainment takes account of all ages.

The key to any successful party is to put some thought into it beforehand and make sure everyone knows what behaviour or conduct will not be accepted.

•     Allow employees to work from home where possible
•     Make temporary adjustment to working patterns
•     Ask staff to take any time off in lieu they are owed
•     Introduce temporary flexible working to allow for possible changes in the weather (especially when employees are leaving at night)
•     Allow employees to take holiday or allow unpaid leave
•     Initiate short time working/lay-off*

These are just some of the options available to an employer in adverse weather. It’s likely a one size fits all approach won’t work so consider what job roles you have, how the incoming workload will be affected and how you can remain as operational as possible.

Once you have worked out your plan, it will need to be communicated to all members of staff to ensure there is no confusion.

What if you have to close the office…?

If you have to close the office, think how you could contact your staff members quickly and easily if you have to shut the office/company. 

Text messaging can be an easy and effective way of contacting people or you may want to call people directly. Whatever you decide, make sure you have ‘up to date’ contact details and let people know how you will contact them in the event that you cannot open.

Paid or unpaid …..?

It’s always a difficult call whether to pay people if they cannot attend work due to the weather. The first step is to look at your contract of employment to see if there are any provisions for bad weather and payment.

Generally if you are going to close the business you will have to implement short-time working/layoff* (you will need the contractual right to do so) or continue to pay employees.

If the office is open, but employees cannot get to work, you are not obliged to pay staff (but please check your contracts of employment). This will obviously cause some disgruntlement from staff so it is far better to set out your policy beforehand so everyone is clear. This should stop any ‘arguments’ if situations do arise.

Other Considerations…

You may need to conduct a risk assessment to ensure it’s safe for your employees to be carrying out their duties? It’s likely that very cold weather may require adjustments for people who work outside for example.

Keep in control…

You can’t control the weather but you can control how it affects your business. Having a clear policy and communicating this with staff will make it easier to manage and reduce the impact of adverse weather on your business.

SEASONAL PARTIES

Many organisations over the next month or so will be holding a staff party or going out on a Christmas ‘do’. Most parties or events go off without a hitch (with the exception of the odd sore head in the morning!). But where does the company stand regarding liability?

A staff party or event can be considered an extension of work and as an employer you have a 'duty of care' towards your employees.

You therefore need to consider your policy and how you want people to behave. The following guidelines should help your party go off with a bang!
 

•     Make it clear that while you want everyone to have a good time, employees are still representing the company and are also required to comply with policies and conduct themselves appropriately. And confirm that disciplinary action will be taken if anyone behaves inappropriately.
•     Make sure at least one senior manager is able to deal with any issues which may arise on the night.
•     Keep vigilant and address anyone who is acting inappropriately, if necessary ask them to go home

Note: Ideally you should have a clear ‘social events’ policy that covers not only Christmas celebrations but other corporate or company events.

Think about travel arrangements and maybe end the party before public transport stops running. You can also provide the phone numbers for local registered cab companies and encourage employees to use them. Hiring minibuses to take staff home is another option which would probably be greatly appreciated.

You should also consider all your staff when arranging parties or events. For example ensure that there is a mix of music and that any organised entertainment takes account of all ages.

The key to any successful party is to put some thought into it beforehand and make sure everyone knows what behaviour or conduct will not be accepted.

Specially prepared for Ian Bysouth Consulting by Practical HR www.practical-hr.co.uk and Your Hr Services http://www.yourhrservices.co.uk/.