Snow basics

The contract is a good place to start when deciding if employees are entitled to pay when they don’t attend work because of snow.  If this isn’t clear in contracts or policies, then it is helpful to remember the basic position: wages/salary are a reward for work done.  So employees who don’t show up for work on a particular day shouldn’t on that basis be entitled to any pay for that day.  Of course, if the reason for not-attendance is sickness rather than snow, then sick pay provisions would apply.  However, where inclement weather (or a car break-down for further example) is the reason, and where no contractual entitlement can be established in a written document or through custom and practice, then an employer is often going to be quite entitled to go back to basics.  (It isn’t always straight forward, but if you want to check the position for your business do contact us.)