Home Forums Thread Like Summary - 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.