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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Levi Winchester

Your rights if you can't get to work because of snow as temperatures plummet

It's been a cold start to the day with the UK waking up to snow and ice in parts of the country this morning.

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place in the south and east of England, south Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Temperatures at Kinbrace in the Highlands dropped to -15.2C overnight, making it the coldest night of the year so far, the Met Office said.

In Wales, over 100 schools have closed because of snow.

With more bitter days of weather ahead of us this week, what does this mean if you're too cold to work?

Or how about if you're a parent or guardian, but your child's school is shut for the day?

We speak to the experts to find out your employment rights.

Have you ever been fired from work because you couldn't get in due to snow? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

Can I stop working because it's too cold?

There isn't a minimum temperature as such which is deemed safe to work in, according to employment lawyer Simon Robinson.

But your boss does have a duty of care for your well-being. This includes the health and safety of your workplace.

Employers should consider how long you're going to be required to work in freezing conditions.

"The obligation on an employer is merely to provide a reasonable workplace temperature and therefore conducting an appropriate risk assessment is advisable," said Mr Robinson.

"The impact of outdoor working conditions has the potential to seriously impact employee health where hazards are not effectively managed.

"Employers should consider how long their employees will be required to work in these conditions, what rest breaks and facilities their employees have access to and whether they have issued suitable PPE.

"If an employer cannot ensure suitable measures to guarantee safety at work, then employees should not be required to carry out the work in those conditions."

Does my boss have to pay me if I can't get into work?

In most cases, your boss doesn't have to pay you if you can't get into work due to bad weather.

Some employers may consider allowing employees to request the time off as annual leave or to work from home.

However, your employer should not force to come into the office if it could be dangerous, according to Laura Kearsley, partner and solicitor at Nelsons.

"It is generally an employee’s responsibility to get to and from work and so if this is not possible, the employer is entitled to regard such absence as unauthorised," she said.

"An exception to this might be where the employer provides transport (e.g. a bus service) and this is cancelled."

If you're on a contract and you can't work because your office has closed due to snow or bad weather, then your boss should still pay you.

"This also cannot be marked down as a holiday - however, they can request you work from home if you are able to," said Ms Kearsley.

"If you are on a zero hours contract or your employer has a contractual right to decline to offer you work at short notice, they may not have to pay you.

"Also, if there is an advance notice of bad weather, the employer could give prior notice to require employees to take their holiday."

My child’s school is closed – can I take the day off work?

You are entitled to take a reasonable amount of emergency unpaid time off work to take care of your kids.

This could mean if you're unable to work because their school is closed.

"The closure of a nursery or school would qualify as an emergency," explains Ms Kearsley.

"However, this is not time off to look after the child, but to make alternative arrangements for their care instead.

"Many employers are more flexible though in these circumstances and will allow employees to take holiday at short notice or, if appropriate, to work from home or make the time up."

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