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Are storms an excuse to stay off work?

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Joe90
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11 Apr 2022, 4:37 pm

MagicMeerkat wrote:
Oh yes. I live in Cincinnati Ohio and it is notorious for it's BAD winter storms. In February and March the snow gets so bad, you can get arrested if you are caught driving for a non emergency reason. Only first responders and people such as doctors, nurses, veterinarians, firefighters, police officers, and EMT's are allowed to go to work on those days.


Usually people who can walk to their job have "no excuse" to stay off work during bad weather - according to most employers.

I remember at my old job I was the only one who lived within walking distance (apart from the manager and a few others in a different department from me), and I used to get really worked up whenever snow was forecasted in case I'll still have to come in whilst all the others had the easy "our street is too dangerous to drive along" excuse (even if their street is perfectly clear and gritted), and that I'd have to do all the work on my own.


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kraftiekortie
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11 Apr 2022, 4:46 pm

In truth, it's very rare for settled regions of the UK----especially in the South----to get more than about 10 cm of snow at a time.

I guess it's a matter of being used to snow. For people in the cities of the UK, you're not really used to heavy snows of above 10-15 cms.

For us in NYC, 10 cm really isn't all that much. Things start getting a little dicey at 20 cm.

The entire transit system in London once totally closed because of about 8 cm of snow at Heathrow.

Many times, I've seen London not get snow all year.



Joe90
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11 Apr 2022, 5:47 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
In truth, it's very rare for settled regions of the UK----especially in the South----to get more than about 10 cm of snow at a time.

I guess it's a matter of being used to snow. For people in the cities of the UK, you're not really used to heavy snows of above 10-15 cms.

For us in NYC, 10 cm really isn't all that much. Things start getting a little dicey at 20 cm.

The entire transit system in London once totally closed because of about 8 cm of snow at Heathrow.

Many times, I've seen London not get snow all year.


The UK shuts down at about 2cm of snow.

Last week we had a little bit of snow, only the wet sort that doesn't settle on the ground, and yet everyone was talking like it's going to be 20cm on the ground and freezing up. People were even panic shopping! Yes, it's very embarrassing. I just went on my normal day, because I knew it was April and we don't get thick, freezing, longlasting blizzards in April.


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11 Apr 2022, 6:24 pm

rse92 wrote:
I was a newly married, newly minted lawyer three weeks into my first job in New York City when Hurricane Gloria hit the NY metropolitan area on September 25, 1985. I already was aware that at my firm I was expected to take my "professional responsibilities" seriously (i.e., be available 24/7, drop everything and cancel family and social plans when the client needs something). So I told my wife, I know a hurricane is supposed to hit, but I have to go to work. I took the elevated train/subway in when it wasn't too bad. Few other lawyers were in. By mid-morning Gloria hit, though NYC was spared the worst. But there were sustained 65 mph winds, and the 50 story skyscraper I was working in was swaying. When you are in a skyscraper and your office door is creaking and moving, it is kind of like being on a airplane in turbulence. You are pretty sure everything is ok, but while it is going on it really is a bummer. Then my boss, who lived on Fifth Avenue blocks from the building, sees me in my office and asks me what I am doing there. I said I came into to work, and he said it's a hurricane, go home!

I remember Hurricane Gloria well. I lived on Long Island and worked in New York City at the time and took the day off. We were expecting a Category 3 and getting wiped out but fortunately the storm weakened a lot before hitting Long Island. Still all sorts of trees and power lines downed. I would have made it in but been stranded in the city. When the eye passed over where I lived and the winds stopped and the sun came out that was really cool.

Walking in hurricane force winds is dangerous for all the reasons mentioned, large branches and trees coming down on you, debris hitting you, and live wires on wet grounds.


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