Storm Éowyn is expected to bring strong winds to parts of the country, but what does that mean for workers?
The Met Office has already issued several amber and red weather warnings with the entirety of the UK having either yellow, amber or red warnings in place for Friday, January 24.
Dangerous conditions are expected with the top-level red warning for wind issued for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland across Friday morning.
The south of England and parts of Wales have a yellow weather warning in place until 5pm tonight (January 23) for wind.
#StormÉowyn has been named and is forecast to bring strong winds to much of the UK on Friday and into Saturday.
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 21, 2025
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/XCphCgyj2Z
But do you have to work during such a storm? Well, Neha Thethi, head of employment at Lime Solicitors, previously answered some of the most frequently asked questions concerning serious storms.
Your rights during Storm Darragh
Does my employer have to pay me if I can’t get to work due to Storm Darragh?
Neha said: “Whether employees get paid on days when they cannot make it into the office will largely depend on their contract of employment. Many employers will have a ‘bad weather policy’, so it is always worth checking your contract. However, on a general note, employers do not have to pay employees who are unable to get into work, subject to their contract.
"Employees are expected to make reasonable efforts to attend work despite any severe transport disruption or road closures. However, it is usually best practice to be flexible in these circumstances by allowing employees to request the time off as annual leave or to work from home.
"With the help of technology and working adjustments made during the coronavirus pandemic, many employees should be able to work from home. However, it is important to remember your employer should not force you to attempt the journey if there are legitimate concerns for your safety.”
My workplace has closed for the day due to Storm Darragh – do I still get paid?
“If your employer has closed the office because it is inaccessible, they should usually still pay employees for that day. Withholding pay when employees are unable to work through no fault of their own could be considered as an unauthorised deduction from wages," continued Neha.
"In those circumstances, employees may be able to bring a claim against their employer. However, it should be noted that some employment contracts contain a temporary ‘lay-off’ clause. If this is the case, employers can refuse to give the full amount of pay to employees to a limited time.”
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Can you take time off work if your child’s school is closed due to Storm Darragh?
“Schools are often closed when there is bad weather, forcing many employees to stay at home to look after their children. If a school was closed at short notice, this would constitute an emergency relating to a dependant, in which case, you would be entitled to take time off as dependency leave.
"This type of leave does not have to be paid. Your employer cannot refuse you dependency leave if you have no other choice, and you cannot be disciplined or sacked for taking the time off.”
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