Snow and bad weather absence: UK employer guide

Not unless their contract or your policy says you will. Acas says it is usually the employee's responsibility to get to and from work, and that where the contract says nothing an employer does not have to pay someone who cannot get in, because they are not fulfilling their contract of employment.

Acas also says employers should consider the benefits of paying anyway, such as morale and staff retention. Many employers pay for a short, widespread disruption, or offer ways for staff to keep their pay, such as working from home or making up the time. Whatever you decide, apply it consistently and explain it, because staff compare how they were treated with colleagues and with the last time it snowed.

The position changes if the decision not to work is yours. Acas says that if employees were ready, willing and able to work, they are usually entitled to normal pay if the employer chooses to fully or partly close the workplace, or tells them to work fewer hours. The same applies if transport you normally provide is cancelled, unless the contract says there is no right to pay in that case.

Some contracts let the employer lay staff off or put them on short-time working. Acas says this must be completely clear in the contract, and describes it as a last resort, for example where an employer must temporarily shut down because of an emergency like a flood. Laid-off employees with one month's service are entitled to statutory guarantee pay, which GOV.UK sets at up to £41 a day for 5 days in any 3-month period, a maximum of £205.

Acas suggests talking options through with anyone who cannot get in or is delayed, and making clear whether their pay will be affected. Options it lists include:

You can ask employees whether they want to use holiday, and many will prefer a day of paid leave to a day without pay. You can also require them to take holiday, but GOV.UK says you must give notice of at least twice the length of the leave, so 2 days' notice for 1 day of holiday. Acas says that makes it a realistic option only when disruption is known about in advance or is likely to go on for a long time.

If an employee has no holiday left, Acas lists borrowing from next year's entitlement (only where the contract gives more than the statutory 5.6 weeks), unpaid leave, making the time up, or swapping shifts or non-working days.

Acas says that if a school has closed for the day or care arrangements fall through, for example because carers cannot reach a dependant, the employee has the right to take time off for dependants. That right is to a reasonable amount of time to deal with the situation and make other arrangements, with no set number of days.

GOV.UK says employers may pay for time off for dependants but do not have to, so check the contract and your handbook. If the closure goes on for several days, the employee can ask to use holiday or unpaid parental leave instead.

Acas says employers have a duty of care for the health and safety of all staff and should not encourage people to travel when it is not safe, for example in heavy snow or ice when people are told not to travel except in emergencies. For staff who drive for work, Acas suggests a risk assessment, following local travel advice and allowing safer but longer routes, longer breaks or missed driving days.

Cold workplaces are a separate duty. HSE says the minimum temperature in an indoor workplace should normally be at least 16°C, or 13°C where much of the work involves rigorous physical effort.

Acas says employers should have a policy for disruption that makes clear when it applies, for example major widespread disruption rather than minor travel delays. A policy agreed in advance avoids arguments about pay on the morning of a snow day.

Record weather and travel disruption as its own absence type rather than sickness or unauthorised absence, so it does not count towards absence triggers or a Bradford Factor score. If you close the workplace, record the closure once for everyone rather than chasing individual requests.

In Leavely you can create a separate leave type for travel disruption with half-day booking, and add a company leave block to the calendar for a closure day. A company leave block only deducts from holiday allowances if you choose that option, so you can keep a closure day off staff balances.