Paul DeCamp, Member of the Firm in the Employment, Labor & Workforce Management practice, in the firm’s Washington, DC office, was quoted in Alert Media, in “How to Create an Inclement Weather Policy for Your Business.”
Following is an excerpt:
Most every climate has its share of challenging weather, including frigid temps, snow storms, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and threats of wildfires. Creating a clear inclement weather policy is important for employees so they know ahead of time what to expect when the weather turns bad. …
Some companies may “leave it up to the employee” on whether or not they should come in to work.
That’s a bad idea. ...
The Society for Human Resources Management cites the advice of attorney Paul DeCamp of Epstein, Becker & Green in Washington, D.C. and former administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division: “Employers should give serious thought to allowing employees to stay home on days when there is a significantly elevated risk of a traffic accident, as no employer wants to see an injury or fatality occur because an employee felt obligated to come to work even though the roads were not safe.”
With inclement weather policies, companies should definitely consider their worker safety first. Business may be interrupted if the office shuts down, but when it resumes, everyone can safely return and get back to work.
Related reading:
SHRM, “Inclement Weather Policy Should Factor In Safety, Pay,” by Allen Smith.
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