Bad weather and Tube strike: employment issues caused by disruptions to public transport

With bad weather hitting many parts of the UK and 24 hours of industrial action taking place on the London Underground starting in the evening of Sunday 28 November, XpertHR provides guidance for employers on problems in the workplace caused by disruptions to public transport. 

The heavy snow has continued across the UK for most of the week and the industrial action continued into Monday 29 November. This means that some employers face dilemmas such as whether or not to pay employees who are not at work because of public transport disruption and what to do if employees use the disruption as an unjustified excuse not to come to work or to arrive late.  

• Severe weather and disruptions to public transport policy Use this model policy to set out how employees should manage employees who face difficulties attending their place of work and returning home during periods of severe weather or when there are disruptions to transport. 
• How to deal with employment issues caused by severe weather or disruptions to public transport The XpertHR "how to" section provides guidance on dealing with employment issues caused by severe weather or disruptions to public transport. 
• Frequently asked questions The XpertHR FAQs section answers questions on disruptions to public transport, such as:
  • Is an employer required to pay employees who arrive late or do not arrive at all due to disruptions to public transport?
  • If an employer closes its business because disrupted public transport prevents employees from attending work does it have to pay its employees?

Also

Legal Q&A: Public transport delays Andreas White, solicitor at Kingsley Napley, answers questions on staff arriving late or not making it in to work as a result of public transport disruption. 

Good practice: Attendance management This section of the XpertHR good practice manual discusses the management of attendance, including how flexible working practices can prevent issues such as employees having poor attendance because of public transport problems. 

Line manager briefing on homeworking Line managers might permit employees to work from home when there are major disruptions to public transport. This article looks at how line managers can best address the practical issues associated with homeworking.