Winter weather advice from Acas

Advice on a number of winter problems has been posted on the website of the employment relations experts Acas.

It advises employers that now is the time to make sure they are prepared for those workplace issues that crop up over the winter months.

Issues covered include adverse winter weather, flu and colds; and holiday entitlement.

Acas advises employers to plan ahead as misunderstandings can often lead to conflict.

Acas says employers should have a clear policy — employees need to know what you expect from them in terms of getting to work. And if bad weather hits they should try and use information technology to keep the business running by allowing staff to work from home.

Employers should also be flexible where possible and seek agreement for employees to temporarily alter working hours to minimise disruptions.

Something that workers need to bear in mind is that they are not automatically entitled to pay if unable to get to work because of bad weather. However, employers may have contractual, collective or custom and practice arrangements in place to deal with this problem.

Adrian Wakeling, Acas guidance editor, said: “Winter often brings dilemmas for employers — adverse weather conditions can mean staff shortages due to travel disruption, and seasonal celebrations often result in a stampede to book annual leave.”

www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3554