Top tips for employers managing snow absence

The law firm, which has offices in Portsmouth, has released its ‘Top 5 checklist’ for businesses managing staff absence brought on by snow.

Employment barrister Tim Forer has revealed his five guidelines, which include making sure employees who can and do work effectively from home are paid.

He said: ‘Employers should always bear in mind their duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees. It is not advised to encourage employees to travel in treacherous conditions.

‘Docking pay for those who could not make it to work is not always a good idea. Employees may argue that it is an unlawful deduction of wages.

‘Unless an employer genuinely believes that an employee has been playing the system, it will usually be unwise to start a disciplinary process for a failure to attend work due to travel disruption. Employers considering this should always fully investigate the reason for the absence.’