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Severe Weather

guidance

In considering responses to severe weather (or other situations where there is widespread and continuing disruption to essential public services), heads of departments and members of staff should exercise discretion to ensure that staff are safe both at work and in their journeys to and from work.

During periods of severe weather staff are expected to make every reasonable effort to attend for work as normal, or to make alternative arrangements to undertake their duties, if practicable. This might include making alternative travel arrangements, for example where public transport is not available, or planning ahead to be able to work from home. Early morning disruption may not prevail throughout the working day, and staff who are only able to attend work for part of the working day, by a later start and/or an agreed earlier finish, should still be paid at their normal rate of pay for the whole day.

If members of staff are unable to travel to their place of work owing to severe weather conditions, they should contact their line manager prior to their normal start time, or as soon as possible thereafter. With line manager approval, and subject to operational needs, the line manager may authorise the individual to:

1.     work at home (or perform their duties at another location); or

2.     make up the time/hours lost (normally within one month); or

3.     take a day's annual leave; or

4.     elect to have a day's authorised leave without pay.

(N.B where severe weather is prolonged staff may wish to request a combination of 1-4 above so that, for example, some time is made up and some taken as annual leave.)

In certain situations, such as where schools close without warning owing to severe weather and employees are unexpectedly required to provide/arrange care for their dependants, the provisions outlined in section 4.3.1 of the staff handbooks on dealing with domestic emergencies will apply. Where a school closure is known in advance, i.e. the day before, or the closure period continues, staff are expected to agree one of options 1-4 above with their line manager.

In some circumstances it may be necessary for Heads of Departments to close a department, and/or send staff home early; and/or advise staff not to attend on safety grounds. In such circumstances staff should be paid as usual.

Where it is known that a member of staff has mobility problems which may be exacerbated by adverse weather, special care should be taken in applying this guidance.

Departments which offer a service, such as libraries, IT support, museums or certain clinical departments, may have more detailed arrangements in place to maintain essential services during severe weather or other disruption and this guidance should be read in conjunction with those arrangements.

Personnel Services