Home Forums Discussions General Discussion SNOW DAYS!! NEED FEEDBACK FROM EVERYONE PLEASE!

Just wondering what everyone does in the case of snow days or other natural disasters. There are several scenarios. I will try to number them:

1. There is a prediction for a huge storm. (Like the one we are NOT seeing right now in Maine). But, in all fairness say you know there will be a storm that will make it nearly impossible or unsafe for staff to get to work that day. Do you pay them for the day? I mean not a vacation day or time acquired off but simply pay them their regular pay?

2. Same but do you have a compromise where if it isn't their fault they can't work, maybe they get 1/2 pay. This is not a bad idea because it gives them some incentive to work as just the hint of one inch of snow makes them claim they get the whole day off.

3. They make it into work -- work until 2 pm, but then the snow starts and they need to go home from 2 pm to 5 pm. Do you pay them?

4. On an aside, you have three staff and the afternoon is very slow and you ask if one of your employees wants to leave early?
a) if you make them leave, do you pay them. If it is an option, do you pay them? In other words, you can stay and get paid or get home with some free time but no pay. Again, have you thought of giving 1/2 pay there?

This is becoming a huge point of tension now.

I see the staff's side that they are expecting to work a full week, and it wasn't their fault it snowed. On the other hand, it is difficult to pay an entire day when they have the day off.

All comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Here is my 2 cents about this. I am going to assume all employees are hourly and not salaried.

1) In this scenario, where it is not the employees choice on staying home (State of Emergency), then they should be paid. If the state is the one saying say off the roads, or if the practice as a whole (or you as the owner) decide that it is unsafe for you or your patients to come in, then they get paid and no time deducted.

2) I would not do this scenario. It would promote them trying to make it into work in legitimate unsafe conditions. If the majority of the staff can make it in safely, and one person doesn't feel safe, then that would be on them. I would pay them, but then deduct from their acquired time as if they took a personal day/sick day (if they have no time acquired yet, then it would deduct from future time).

3) same as above.. it depends on who makes the call.

4) This is more of a grey area. When I worked an hourly job, if someone said "do you want to go home early" and I said yes, then I would not be paid for the time not worked. It was their choice to leave. I would ask if they wanted to use acquired time to make up for the difference in that scenario.

Last job I had was horrible with snow days. They excepted me to go in, no matter what. It would be a legit blizzard out and a state of emergency called and the district manager would still give me grief about not opening the store (this was a retail job). If I didn't go in, I was not paid. What this did was develop a "culture" of me trying to go in, even when it was not safe. There were several times when I went in when it was dangerous out, just because I knew I would not be paid otherwise. AC and Harris are much better in this regard. Even before the work from home boom, they always said that if I didn't feel safe going in, then to just stay home (now that I work from home, I don't get snow days.. my commute is a LOT shorter though).

The bottom line is make sure your employees are safe. If you take care of them, they will take care of you.

Thanks for the thoughtful answers. These are all legit and ones I wrestle with. I think the toughest one is the prediction of a storm. Staff comes to me at 5 pm wanting me to make the call so we aren't all struggling with a decision in the middle of the night. Today we saw six patients we wouldn't have seen. That is roughly $450. Not to mention the four that would have been rescheduled. So that would be $700 plus. Paying them means $360. So, I get $340 extra minus a minimal amount of overhead plus do a service for my practice.

Bert, I wrote out a detailed response but I guess i didn't press send.. gah. But I our office does what Mark describes. The only thing is, we do not make a decision at 5pm unless it's 100% certain there will be flooding (like Harvey). The doctor makes the call early in the morning. If she can get to work, then the office is "open." If the staff can't get to work or gets there late, they are paid whatever hours they work.

Regarding #4, I would not make them leave, They depend on that amount each paycheck and if it's unexpectedly reduced, then there is financial stress. Of course if they choose to leaving knowing that time won't be paid, that's not a problem.

Hi Bert,

Well, since you asked, here's what should be done on a snow day . . .

https://twitter.com/i/status/1343917361817133061

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

If it is a state of emergency then I will generally pay them unless it's not relevant to our area.
If they question coming to work just because of some snow or cold, and I have NO qualms about coming to work NO pay
But I will throw this question back about staff who test positive for COVID. In general we do not have sick days but rather PTO, should they be paid if they have no PTO?

Thanks Wendell,

Good question. Here is my answer off the top of my head. If an employee gets sick with Influenza or Rhinovirus, then PTO. But, employees are putting their health and safety on the line for the practice knowing Covid is out there and generally more likely in the office. So, I would pay one week's pay, then it is PTO UNLESS they are hospitalized, then 1/2 pay during that time.

1. There is a prediction for a huge storm.- not many snow storms here, February 2021 was one, I live 5 miles from the office, I made it, 2 out of 4 employees made it (they live close by), partner lived 30 miles away she did not make it and the other 2 employees that did not make it didn't due to kids not being in school. We paid the 2 that made it and not the 2 that didn't. We are more prone to Hurricanes! I have in the past paid when it was declared unsafe for people to not come in like with Harvey. I feel it depends on the current situation. I don't want to punish those that live further out or have younger children but that is their life choices.

2. Never did a half pay like you discuss but like the idea. Again, I think it is up to the scenario, is it unsafe, has the local GOV/Transportation Dept declared it unsafe? In 2/2021 TxDot said the roads were unsafe stay home, I think this opens up your own liability if you incentivize them to try and come in. I told my stay to come in if they wanted, we canceled all patients. I went in to try and get caught up some. The 2 employees that came in did the same thing and they are very loyal to the

3. They make it into work -- work until 2 pm- I wouldn't normally pay in this situation but if we were all going home then I would.

4. I have never made someone leave because we are slow. I hated that when I was a nurse at the hospital. I will ask if they want to go home and then if they do will deduct from their PTO.

Good Answers from Marc@AC, agree with serene

Wendell365 for COVID I did the PPP loan and had this loan forgiven, I really didn't need the money at the time because we had not slowed down. I kept this money separate from the company income. I have it broken down by employee, based on their hourly rate. I got it in case myself or others were out with COVID. As it happens, a long time employee got COVID and her husband died from it in 2/2021. With the PPP funds I was able to keep her paycheck the same for the whole time she was out without need to take from her vacation or personal sick time. One of her children later got it in August and I was able to help her again because she had not used her full portion of the PPP funds. I had 2 more employees go out with COVID and they got theirs as well.

I have an employee who's daughter has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma. We kept her on the payroll while she was getting things arranged and finding financial help with this diagnosis. She could not work at first with this diagnosis and COVID raging at the time. She could not risk the exposure. I used funds from her PPP share and what others donated to her to help her get through this time. She came to me the other day and resigned because she can no longer work and take care of her child at home. I was glad to be able to pay her even when she could not be there. The other members of the staff agreed to this as well. We are more of a work family unit and feel they would try and do the same for me.

I think all of these answers may be subject to the labor laws federal and state and hope none of us are doing anything that could get us in trouble!

I have nothing to add about snow days, but Carl’s video is hilarious. It does look like that Basset is rowing with his ears!