Snow and ice weather warnings have been issued for the UK this week as the country braces itself for its current cold snap to worsen.
Snow storms are expected to hit large swathes of central and northern England on Thursday (March 9). The Met Office has issued an amber warning for “strong winds bringing blizzard conditions” and up to 40cm of snow to the area stretching from Stoke-on-Trent to Durham.
The warning lasts for 21 hours from 3pm on Thursday – and “significant disruption” to transport, power lines and phone network coverage is likely. Several milder yellow weather warnings for snow have also been issued, covering much of the nation from Wednesday to Friday, with a warning in force from 7am on Thursday.
READ MORE: Met Office issues amber heavy snow warning for parts of Greater Manchester
The alert warns that people should expect delays on the roads with potential for some vehicles and passengers to become stranded. It also states that there could be delays and cancellations of flights and rail services while there is a 'good chance' some rural communities could be cut off.
Many people will still be needing to commute to their workplace on Thursday and Friday. According to The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), there is no automatic legal right to pay if extreme weather or transport cause problems getting to work.
Some employers might offer pay for these circumstances and this should be written in the contract. When getting to work is difficult or not possible because of extreme weather or transport problems, employers and staff should be as flexible as they can, says ACAS.
This includes allowing staff to work flexibly so they can make up for lost time, working from home if possible or starting later in the day if the extreme weather or transport problem is expected to clear up.
What should I do if I cannot get into work?
ACAS says staff should contact their employer as soon as they can if they cannot get to work. The employer should talk through their options and make clear if their pay will be affected.
If staff have to drive to do their job, their employer should have plans for when extreme weather could affect them.
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