Are storms an excuse to stay off work?

Post Reply New Topic

Tomorrow a hurricane is expected for the UK, particularly in my area, with winds of up to 90mph or more, and I am worrying about venturing outside to work. The walk to work is about 2 miles and there are unavoidable risks. I would phone a taxi but the forecast warns that transport can be disrupted and this might affect taxi services.

If the taxi idea does fail, is strong winds a valid excuse not to go into work? I could be risking my life by coming out and so could other people. It's probably safer being in a car than walking, so hopefully I'll get a taxi. But I'm a bit wary.

Uh, I wish the hurricane would postpone til the weekend when I'm off and don't have to go out.

I'd ask the employer.
They are more likely to know of national guidelines and/or if the company has any policies regarding these kinds of matters.

/Mats

If travel warnings have been issued then stay home.

Yep. Id check with your employer. Its possible they might cancel your function.

I don’t believe you're in the Red warning area. you're probably in the Amber warning area.

You could try getting to work tomorrow. If you don't feel safe, turn around, go back, and call in. No point in worrying about it beforehand.

It's OK, my boyfriend's work has phoned him and told him they are closed tomorrow due to the bad weather, so he will be able to drive me in.

I can't see my work closing or the employer letting us have the day off. My employer is the type of person to call you a wimp if you ask such questions.

I am a wimp though.

If it's not safe it's not worth the risk. It's not as though they'd risk their survival on your behalf.
They can be replaced, you can't.

I grew up in US hurricane territory and currently live in US tornado territory.
The short answer is, yes, given high enough winds.


And the UK's Met Office agrees ...
"
A rare red weather warning - the highest level - has been issued for parts of south-west England and south Wales on Friday, meaning there is a danger to life from flying debris.

The Met Office warned Storm Eunice could bring gusts of up to 90mph, causing significant disruption.
"

Varies by location;


Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60417263
Storm Eunice: Rare red weather warning issued for parts of the UK

By Becky Morton & Joseph Lee
BBC News

Published 9 minutes ago

i have a anxiety when it comes to hurricanes and iv got to go out in it tomorrow and drive a bus

i know how you mean as if the employer doesnt close the firm because of the weather and you are in walking distance then you kind of got no excuse
but thats saying that from a employer point of view,i agree with you

See if you could telecommute

Not all jobs telecommute.

If you can't telecommute, look up in the employee manual the answer to your question

If you can't find the answer in an official company manual, email corporate

That way you have something official in writing

Also not everyone has a car. Unless your job description requires you to drive your own car (or a company car), it doesn't sound justified to me that you should have to take a taxi. Taxis $$$$$. Besides plenty of employees work too far away and taxi costs a lot more than for you. (I am not a lawyer)

Some companies have policies that say that if you call out it has to be before a certain time. If you "try" to go to work and it doesn't seem safe and then you call out, that might be too late to call out.

Well did you work today? How was getting there and back?

Yes my boyfriend got the day off so he drove me there and back. But I noticed that on a street I would have walked there was a tree down that had knocked a metal lamppost right down, so if anyone had been under that when it happened they would most probably die. So it could have been me.

I'm sure sometimes my anxiety saves my life.

Yay! on getting the ride. And that's why the Met Office put out the red and amber warnings it did.

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!

Just for future reference:

YES!

Whether wind, torrential rain and flooding, severe cold or a massive dump of snow, or even lethally hot heat - storms are indeed a reason to not go to work from time to time.

Look what happened in the USA when Amazon and some candle factory didn't allow workers to go home when there was a tornado warning in effect - they made people stay and work.. and then those buildings got demolished and a whole bunch of people died. All for the almighty dollar for their employers' profit.

F that. No way your life is worth any job - especially a sort of menial job vs. police/search and rescue jobs where people put their lives on the line for work regularly.

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.