While Texans usually enjoy mild winters, each year seems to bring one or two bad storms. How should employers prepare for these inevitable “snow days?” Keith Clouse, a Dallas lawyer who is board certified in employment law, advises employers to draft inclement weather policies to be included in company handbooks.
A company should draft an inclement weather policy to suit its particular needs. For example, some employers may need to maintain operations despite bad weather (such as hospitals) while other employers can delay the start of a work day or let employees work from home without much disruption to the company’s daily operations. At a minimum, an inclement weather policy should address: when or if the company will close or delay operations, how the company will notify employees that it will be closed, and whether the company will require certain essential employees to report for work even if the company is closed. An inclement weather policy should also address pay issues, such as whether employees will be paid on the days the company is closed and whether an employee will be paid if the employee does not report to work because of poor weather conditions, even though the company is open.
To speak with Mr. Clouse or another attorney at a Dallas employment law firm, please contact the employment law lawyers at Clouse Dunn Khoshbin LLP at [email protected].
