You may consider not commuting to work if weather conditions get much worse
Many parts of the UK are bracing up to be hit by Storm Goretti in the coming days, which is expected to bring a wave of strong winds and heavy snowfall. The Met Office has issued amber and yellow warnings for some parts of the country, with Wales and parts of the Midlands expected to be particularly affected by snowfall.
The Met Office has also warned that travel disruptions are likely due to the adverse weather conditions, which could lead to trouble for people travelling on the roads. Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued cold-weather health alerts for all parts of England, which are currently expected to remain in place until January 11.
The UKHSA amber alerts mean that adverse temperatures are likely to cause an impact to the health and well-being of members of the public. With such cold temperatures expected in the coming days, many people may be wondering if it will affect their ability to commute to and work in an office or other place of work.
Before assessing whether the colder temperatures and adverse weather conditions will affect your ability to work, it may be worth familiarising yourself with the current rules in place across the country.
Rules surrounding minimum temperatures at a place of work
Guidance from GOV.UK highlights that there is no law in place that dictates what the minimum or maximum working temperatures of a workplace should be. Because of there, there are no strict rules in place that dictate whether it is too cold to work, regardless of the weather conditions outside.
However, government guidance does recommend a minimum temperature of at least 16C or 13C if employees are carrying out physical work. Furthermore, while there is no legal fixed temperature in place, health and safety work law does state that employers should keep temperatures to a ‘comfortable’ level while providing clean and fresh air.
If an employee believes their workplace’s temperature is not comfortable, they are urged by the government to speak with their employer about it.
What if I want to work from home instead?
Government guidance notes that employees should always talk to their employer before deciding to work from home. This is because your work rights to work from home due to travel disruptions stemming from poor weather may already be laid out in your contract.
In some cases your employer may ask flexible workers to work from home or make up time later due to disruptions. Keep in mind, though, that employers are not able to insist on this unless the employment contract already details this agreement.
If your workplace closes down due to disruptions and you don’t usually work from home, employers are usually not allowed to deduct any pay. Instead, employers may ask staff to go to another workplace or work from home.
Can I take time off due to the cold?
If you are facing a significant travel disruption due to poor weather, your employer may ask you to take annual leave instead of trying to go to work, as long as proper notice is given. According to government guidance, this notice must be at least double the length of time they want employees to take in annual leave. However, your employment contract may have a different notice period, which will apply instead.
Full guidance on your rights in relation to travel disruptions and work can be found on GOV.UK here.