Employment information - Severe weather arrangements

Severe weather arrangements

There may be times when severe weather conditions make travel to or from work difficult or dangerous. Attending for work is regarded as essential although the Council recognises that employees should not take unreasonable risks. The following information outlines arrangements for dealing with these situations.

The Council's Severe Weather Arrangements are as below:

Employees who participate in Flexitime Scheme

Employees who are allowed to stop work early and have worked more than 3 hours will be credited with actual time worked.
Employees who have worked less than 3 hours will be credited with a maximum of 3 hours.
Anyone taking work home with them can be credited with the time worked at home (but not in addition to the second bullet point above).
The same applies if employees are unable to get to work because of weather conditions or are delayed.

Employees who work Fixed Hours

Employees will be credited with their normal working hours for the day.

Essential/Critical Employees

Essential employees may be requested to remain at work. If, as a result, they are unable to travel home, appropriate accommodation/ expenses will be paid.

Employees who have an agreed Hybrid workstyle

Employees may, with the agreement of their line manager, be able to work from home or a base closer to home, should severe weather conditions make travel to or from an agreed base, difficult or dangerous, on a day when an employee is scheduled to work "on site".

Teachers and Non-Teaching Employees based in Schools

Teachers and non-teaching employees based in schools are credited with their normal working hours but are expected to report at their local school if unable to travel to their normal place of work and practicable to do so.

Notes

Line managers must ensure they are satisfied that the employee was unable to report for work due to severe weather.
Employees who wish to home work on a day they are unable to report for work at their planned base, must obtain prior approval from their line manager (or more senior manager in their management structure) even if they have an agreed Hybrid working style.
Line managers considering requests from employees who wish to home work must ensure they are satisfied the employee has sufficient work to do at home before agreeing to the request.
Line managers must ensure that the hours claimed accurately reflect what time has actually been worked and not just the employee's standard hours.
Flexi credit under the severe weather arrangements cannot be claimed on the same day as home working, i.e. an employee with approval to home work will be credited with the hours actually worked.
In a period of prolonged severe weather, line managers are encouraged to use additional flexibility when managing employees