# Does your workplace let people stay home in bad weather? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989 "2016-12-17T23:00:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/21 "2016-12-18T03:08:24Z")
Funny you should ask since I drove in through an ice storm today. In other words — no. No matter how silly the weather and every holiday except Christmas Day, if you are scheduled to work you are expected to be there. Miss and the hours are deducted from your UPT (Unpaid Time Off); you’re UPT hits 0 and you are fired end of discussion. There are reasons this company was named after a jungle. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/22 "2016-12-18T04:09:46Z")
We can work from home so some do that or just take a vacation day We got a message from facilities that they were leaving early last Friday (incoming storm – not that bad but not trivial). We already had about half the employees taking the day off anyway. I’ve never not made it One University story – On Sunday after Thanksgiving we got a storm. That Monday every U of Wisconsin campus closed except Madison and the one I attended (Platteville) There were professors who lived in town (or within 5 miles) who didn’t make it in, most students had to travel a LOT more (my professors were all pretty cool about missing that Monday) Brian ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/23 "2016-12-18T06:50:39Z")
I worked for the Feds, and our rules were different then posted so far. Occasionally, a day would be called off for everyone who was not essential. That only happened a time or two in my 42 years. What would usually happen is that if the weather got bad enough to create major problems getting home, an official excused time was authorized, say 3 hours off your regular quitting time. This way everyone left on a staggered schedule to avoid having 2000 people all leaving the gate at once. Sometimes a certain time was announced for everyone to leave, i.e., clear out at 1:00pm. The time off did not get charged against your annual leave (personal leave), it was granted at the Presidential (Congressional?) level although I think it was at the discretion of the lab director to call it. However, if you did not make it in, you did not receive the free hours, you got charged 8 hours annual leave. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/24 "2016-12-18T09:05:01Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Ottawa. Fuck no. > > You don’t make it in you use a vacation day, or you don’t get paid. This. The most I can remember happening is if a bad storm is coming towards the end of the workday, we can leave early so people don’t get stuck on the roads overnight. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/25 "2016-12-18T09:07:17Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I work in schools. They either close the school and expect nobody to come in, or they stay open and expect everyone. Around here, the schools never close on a bad day, even if school is cancelled. They stay open with a skeleton staff in case some parents don’t get the news and drop their kids off. Don’t want to run the risk of kids getting trapped outside in a storm. ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/26 "2016-12-18T09:18:47Z")
We don’t really ever get weather that would make it difficult/dangerous to travel to the office, so there’s no official policy. But on the couple of occasions that there has been a big accident blocking the freeway, so that my commute would have taken hours, my employer has been happy for me to work from home. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/27 "2016-12-18T10:19:29Z")
I go to work in _all_ weather. I work at home. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/28 "2016-12-18T13:45:12Z")
My business is in a rural area, so the roads are typically much worse than in town. Employees are encouraged to use their best judgement. If you don’t come in, you don’t get paid. Ideally, people do not come in because otherwise I’m paying them to do busy work. If the roads are really bad, our clientele do not leave their homes. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/29 "2016-12-18T13:56:16Z")
Yes! Snow days! ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/30 "2016-12-18T14:01:41Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Or if they push people to come in, do they give any extra rewards like money or vacation time? > > Tonight I’m going in. I know probably 50% of my coworkers wont which will make extra work for the rest of us PLUS those people will all still get paid PLUS those who do show up will be lucky to even get a thank you. We’ve asked for say overtime pay or a comp day off but nope. > > Sucks being a loyal worker. They’ll tolerate being a little late if you had to wait for the snow plow, but missing the whole day would be an unexcused absence, unless you had a very good reason. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/31 "2016-12-18T14:05:25Z")
We’re in hurricane country, and I work at a 9-1-1 center. We are critical services and are required to come in. We have a bunk room, kitchens, showers, and a generator big enough to keep all the lights, computers, and air conditioning working. All in a category 5 rated building with parking that is (barley) high enough to keep vehicles from flooding. This is perhaps _the_ single best place to ride out a hurricane in Cayman. Since hurricanes can usually be forecast at least a couple days in advance we are expected to secure our own homes and get to work. We have a specific time by which we must report for duty and from that point on we are earning either our regular wage (if it was our scheduled work day anyway), overtime or compensatory time for any time we cannot leave the building during the lockdown. Shifts are adjusted to 6 hours of call taking. If it was supposed to be a day off I will get 6 hours at overtime and 18 hours compensatory time for each 24 hours of lockdown. Overall not bad deal. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/32 "2016-12-18T14:12:25Z")
I work in software development. As long as I have VPN access, I can stay and work from home with few questions asked. I just need to notify my boss (who’s probably home too on a snowy day). If I have a scheduled meeting, I think I’m expected to make an extra effort. ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/33 "2016-12-18T14:44:07Z")
Eastern Ontario. We are expected to be at work regardless of conditions. In practice, though, my boss understands if the plow hasn’t come to your street or slow snow traffic makes you late. My office has had people walk, snowshoe, snowmobile, cross-country-ski into work. Schools do not close for weather. Buses won’t run, which means it’s an effective snow/weather day, but teachers who are able are still expected to come to school and students are welcome if they walk or have parents who drive them. They usually have day-long study halls for older students, or snow-day programs for young ones unless enough turn up that a lesson can be taught. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/34 "2016-12-18T15:23:03Z")
> [@apollonia](#): > > Schools do not close for weather. Buses won’t run, which means it’s an effective snow/weather day, but teachers who are able are still expected to come to school and students are welcome if they walk or have parents who drive them. They usually have day-long study halls for older students, or snow-day programs for young ones unless enough turn up that a lesson can be taught. Our schools need to toughen up and follow this model, in my opinion. Too many times they will call school the night before, in anticipation of snow that turns out to be no big deal. It leaves parents struggling to cover the snow day, bored kids at home, and an extra day tacked on in June. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/35 "2016-12-18T15:27:51Z")
My current job allows us to take vacation time when weather is bad. Some people have a laptop and can do work from home. When I was active duty military, I was in a ‘critical’ skill and had to come into work. If weather was expected to get bad, I was expected to get to work up to a day early. If things turned bad while at work, I was expected to stay. My wife is a civilian nurse. Her experience was similar to mine as far as being at work. Here work would even send out people in 4 wheel drive vehicles to get them from home. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/36 "2016-12-18T15:36:17Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > My wife is a civilian nurse. Her experience was similar to mine as far as being at work. Here work would even send out people in 4 wheel drive vehicles to get them from home. The hospital I work at will do all of those in really bad weather. During the terrible winter of 2014-2015,we had a lot of people coming in early and staying over for days until someone could relieve them. I even stayed over one Sunday night to ensure I was able to conduct hospital orientation on Monday, because we had nurses attending who we needed on the floors and they can’t work without being oriented first. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/37 "2016-12-18T15:51:39Z")
There’s no way I could work from home. I do mechanical drafting and I need the software as well as access to the engineering server. Plus I have no reference resources at home. If I can’t make it to the office, I either burn vacation time or go without pay. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/38 "2016-12-18T15:54:39Z")
I was chatting once with a guy from South Carolina who had moved to Saskatchewan. He said that on the first day it snowed, his little girl got all excited and said “It’s snowing! No school!” He looked at her and said “I don’t think it works that way here, honey.” ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/39 "2016-12-18T16:06:11Z")
I’ve only ever missed work once for snow, and that was Snowmageddon a few years back. Management closed the office a couple of hours early as the storm was hitting and called a snow day for the next day, which was a darn good thing.- I live 3 blocks from a direct train line that drops me off 3 blocks from work, and expected that I’d be able to get downtown no matter what. But that line was even closed because of a derailment. As it turned out, by morning we had a 5-foot snowdrift blocking our front door. We could have gotten out the back door, but sidewalks and streets were completely impassible (and that’s coming from someone who once got herself over an 8-foot pile of snow, on crutches, to get to physical therapy). I literally saw a 4WD pickup truck, one of the ones with oversized monster wheels _and a plow on the front,_ get stuck in front of our house. And I would have had a hard time doing much work from home because our cable went out, which meant no Internet and no phone (we have VOIP). P.S. To answer the OP, a few other people took more than 1 day to get back to work for various reasons (kids’ schools still closed, etc.). Anyone who couldn’t work from home had to use PTO, but wasn’t otherwise penalized. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989/40 "2016-12-18T21:17:56Z")
We have the flexibility to work from home or go home early if it’s really bad, but if we do go in anyway, there’s no extra perk. We did have one official snow day since I’ve been there, the Valentine’s Day storm 2007. > **[February 2007 North American blizzard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_2007_North_American_blizzard)** > > The February 2007 North American blizzard was a massive winter storm that affected most of the eastern half of North America, starting on February 12, 2007 and peaking on Valentine's Day, February 14. The storm produced heavy snowfalls across the midwestern United States from Nebraska to Ohio and produced similar conditions across parts of the northeastern United States, and into Canada in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Significant sleet and freezing rain fell across the southern Ohio Vall... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-workplace-let-people-stay-home-in-bad-weather/774989.md?page=3)