With Glasgow hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships until the end of this week, many spectators and commuters may have noted the hustle and bustle within the city. Those who are continuing to work in Glasgow during this sporting event may have incurred difficulties with travelling in and out of the city as a result of many roads being blocked off, leaving many employers with the question of what to do if employees cannot attend work during this time.
Many employers may already be familiar with how to handle employee attendance when an adverse weather predicament arises or when an employee is absent due to sickness. However, what should employers do when employees cannot physically attend the office due to travel disruption?
We encourage employers to consider the following options:
- Can employees work from home? – this may not only alleviate transport issues but also allow employees to cut down their commute times. If you have a company policy detailing homeworking or hybrid working arrangements, it would be useful to circulate this around your workforce to ensure that all employees are abiding by said policy;
- Can employees use other means of transport reasonably? – if employees regularly use buses to attend and leave work, is it possible for them to access a nearby train station instead? Is it possible for employees to use taxis in the meantime? If so, are you as the employer able to or willing to contribute to any additional costs incurred by your employees as a result of using alternate means of transport?
- Do employees have a portion of unused annual leave? – if you note that some employees have a build-up of annual leave, it may be an opportune time to discuss this with employees and offer them the opportunity for some paid time off as an alternative to any transport issues and/or inability to work from home. If employees do not initially take you up on this offer, you as the employer can look to request that they take a portion of their annual leave in any event – although employers should ensure that in making this request, they must provide employees with ‘positive notice’ e.g. if you request for an employee take one day of annual leave, you must give them at least two days’ notice of said request.
- Do your current policies need updated? – As mentioned above, you may already have an adverse weather policy for your business. Though, could this be updated to also outline the scenario and associated rules for when an employee cannot attend work due to travel disruption?
I should note that if employees fail to attend work and fail to adhere to their employer’s reporting rules and procedures, then it may become a disciplinary issue. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all employees are aware of your rules and the consequences of failing to report their absence in the way they are expected to.
Our employment team have a vast experience of assisting employers with creating policies in relation to family life and agile working. If you are interested in creating a policy on any of the above, want to discuss how to implement any of these ideas or need some bespoke advice about a specific situation please do not hesitate to get in touch!
