Join/Renew Nowand let SHRM help you work smarter. Must pass a pre-employment drug screen, TB test, and . 2. endstream endobj 243 0 obj <. Our priority plow route maps (PDF 1.9MB) show which roads are prioritized for treatment during severe storms and can help travelers plan routes or make decisions on traveling. Vacation or paid time off (PTO) may be charged to an exempt employee, but if the employee has exhausted his or her leave balance, the worker must be paid a full salary during a partial-week closure, Suflas and Thomas observed. When the weather turns cold and the roads become much more dangerous to travel, many employees question their rights. If business operations allow, and an employee receives prior supervisor approval, employees may work from home. LaborLawCenter, Inc. 2023. "But you do so at your own peril," cautioned Laura Elkayam and Matthew Feery, attorneys with Much Shelist in Chicago. Hingula said an inclement weather policy should address: Suflas and Thomas added that the policy should outline the steps an employee must take to inform an employer of delays or the inability to come into work, or the need to leave early. Your employer must agree that the weather is too dangerous for driving. var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); %PDF-1.6 % The NLRA rights are similar to those granted by the OSHA regulations. The employer's policy may allow leave with pay when an employee is absent due to inclement weather. However, an exempt employee who does not report to work due to inclement weather is. during situations where inclement weather occurs (such as heavy snow or other types of disasters). This is true, even if it is the employers choice that the worker does not work that week. Inclement Weather Policy Should Factor In Safety, Pay An inclement weather. ", The DOL has stated that partial-day deductions from the salary of an exempt employee who is absent due to inclement weather aren't allowed. pay the employee's full salary even if: (1) the employer does not have a bona fide benefits plan; (2) . Specifies which employers must comply with the new job posting requirements. Federal . Remote workers must follow their agency's policies, procedures, and any applicable collective bargaining requirements, or contact their supervisors for further information and instructions. TUMWATER Following a competitive bid process, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has reached an agreement with the Drivers Union to create a Drivers Resource Center. was inundated with questions from employers regarding these timely issues. We also annually monitor more than 50 sites for chloride levels in soil and water near our roadways. Depending on state and local laws, the business may have to pay the worker at a regular rate for a set number of hours established by statute or for the number of hours scheduled for his or her shift, stated Steven Suflas and Elliot Griffin, attorneys with Ballard Spahr in Denver and Philadelphia, respectively. Faculty may use the following types of leave: Upon prior approval from the manager/supervisor, an overtime eligible Administrative Professional or Civil Service employee may: Bargaining Unit Covered employees should refer to the appropriate Collective Bargaining Agreement. Interstate 5 is the busiest roadway on the west coast and is vital for moving people and goods to support the economy. Please purchase a SHRM membership before saving bookmarks. If an employee's request for vacation leave is denied by the employer, and the employee is close to the maximum vacation leave (240 hours), the employer must grant an extension for each month that the employer defers the employee's request for vacation leave. Join us at SHRM23 as we drive change in the world of work with in-depth insights into all things HR. A related consideration is whether to make attendance optional for some or all employees, as well as when to discipline an employee who fails to report to work after being told to come in, DeCamp said. Many employers are surprised to learn that under the FLSA, an exempt employee who takes a full day off work for a reason other than sickness or disability need not be paid for that day. In this inclement weather policy example from Integrity HR, the document clearly outlines when and how employees will receive notification of inclement weather and associated closures: "[Company Name] makes a decision by 8:30 a.m. during periods of such inclement weather and communicates this to local media including [insert radio station and . Salt, chemicals and sand all have potential environmental concerns, which is why we train operators to apply only as much as necessary. Inventory, label and store tenant property. Sand can blow off roadways fairly, quickly, however and can cause cleanup and water quality concerns if it enters nearby waterways. 500 4th Ave. Suite 553 All Rights Reserved. Our trucks need to cover more than 20,000 lanes miles. Minimum Wages Are On the Rise in Several States. Faculty and Administrative Professional Personnel Leave, BPPM 60.56, leave options according to employee category in question #1, Leave Report for Overtime-Exempt (Excepted) Classified Employees (BPPM 60.62), Leave Report for Overtime-Exempt Faculty and Administrative Professional Employees (BPPM 60.63), Information on working in extreme cold weather, Sick leave (after all other leaves are exhausted, up to 3 days maximum in a calendar year). This year we have heard so much talk about minimum wage and retaining workers. Leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you. Typical changes to watch for are city and state minimum wages, discrimination, OSHA and sick leave laws. Therefore, a business that is shuttered for an entire payroll week need not pay exempt employees. Policy: The terms "weather emergency" or "inclement weather" refer to the conditions that constitute a hazardous weather event, where local weather conditions prevent employees and students from traveling to or traversing . OPM. But Elkayam and Feery cautioned that unless the applicable law contains an exception for inclement weather, employers generally need to compensate employees under these laws. The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act and state and local statutes have requirements that also may have to be fulfilled, so HR should provide managers with a complete overview. Conclusion: In addition to ensuring compliance with federal law, employers should check state and local laws, which may have additional pay requirements. what to do if you feel pressure to drive to work in dangerous weather. However, as mentioned above, these laws do not protect employees who refuse to drive to work when the employer did not agree that the weather was too dangerous for them to do so. ` %22d2e`8:av2n@10O t>ff`PU _. } Statewide we have approximately 500 plow and dump trucks. While not used as much as years past, sand is still used in road treatment, particularly in colder weather. Every employer must consider a number of factors in deciding whether to close the business during inclement weather. "A$,, fIV`109f:@$df 6i0-&5@$C0E Uh`5 n An employer may deduct a full day from an exempt employee's pay when that employee is absent for a personal reason other than sickness or disability, for example. If this is the case, there are protections in place for you. In addition, an exempt employee who does any work at all during the day, even making business calls from a cell phone or checking her email from home, must be paid her entire salary for the day. Once snow has started falling and accumulating, we switch to a salt pre-wet with a corrosion-inhibited liquid deicer that helps snow and ice to melt, making it easier to remove with snowplows but it takes time to work. } Build specialized knowledge and expand your influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. else if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-mena.aspx") > -1) { That said, some jobs lend themselves to remote work better than others, he added. Find the latest news and members-only resources that can help employers navigate in an uncertain economy. hbbd```b`` EMPLOYEE CONDUCT AND WORKPLACE EXPECTATIONS, Union Bargaining Coalition-Negotiations on Effects of Revisions, ATTENDANCE AND WORK SCHEDULES (Forms and Templates), On-Call Time Compensability for Hourly Employees, Executive Leave, Pay and Leave Practices for Exempt Employees, Overtime Pay and Compensatory Time in Lieu of Overtime Pay, Holiday Pay and Compensatory Time in Lieu of Overtime Pay for Hourly Employees as Defined by FLSA and WA Minimum Wage Act, Emergency Closure, Judicial Administration, King County Guidelines for Workforce Management in an Emergency (formerly the All Hazards Manual for Emergency Response), County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather 11-19, Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy for Safety-Sensitive Positions, Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy for Non Safety-Sensitive Positions, Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment & Inappropriate Conduct Policy, Sex Trafficking and Buying Sexual Services Policy, Procedures for Reasonable Accommodations in Employment for Individuals with Disabilities, Transitional Duty for Employees with Temporary Medical Restrictions, HEALTH AND BENEFITS(Forms and Templates), Employee-Physical Activity Classes and On-Site Chair Massage on King County Property, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Making Life Easier (MLE), Career Service Workforce Management Manual, INVESTIGATION AND DISCIPLINE(Forms and Templates), Employment Related Workplace Investigations, LEAVE ADMINISTRATION(Forms and Templates), King County Family and Medical Leave (KCFML), Leave Administration [Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations Leave Administration], Personal Holiday Use and Eligibility (New Employees), Authorized Travel, Meal and Expense Reimbursement for County Employees (PER 17-1-3 (AEP)), Date Employment Change for PeopleSoft Employees, Example Employee Designation Letters and Notices, Information Distribution for Solicitation of County Employees, Reporting Loss or Theft of County Property/Violations of Federal Criminal Law, Time is Entered and Approved in PeopleSoft During Work Hours, Implementation of the Employee Performance and Accountability System [EPAS] (PER 18-10-1 (AEO)), King County Performance Improvement Plans- A Supervisor's Guide to Raising Employee Performance Levels, Executive Branch Merit Pay System Guidelines (manual), SEPARATION OF EMPLOYMENT(Forms and Templates), Providing Employment References to Prospective Employers, VIOLENCE (WORKPLACE or DOMESTIC)(Forms and Templates), Domestic Violence in the Workplace Policy, King County Administration Building Department Policy No. d`2@, }); if($('.container-footer').length > 1){ 238 0 obj <> endobj Generally speaking an employer can discipline an employee who fails to report to work as scheduled during inclement weather (although, depending upon, When the business is open, any exempt employee who reports to work must be paid. Many employers are surprised to learn that under the FLSA, an exempt employee who takes a full day off work for a reason other than sickness or disability need not be paid for that day. } If and how workers will be compensated during the closing. "This includes protecting workers from expected threats like winter weather and cold-weather exposure," said Curtis Moore, an attorney at Fisher Phillips in Columbus, Ohio. "If employers prefer [that] their nonexempt employees never telecommute, even during a snowstorm, they should have clearly written policies prohibiting nonexempt employees from performing work outside of regular business hours or away from the office without approval," Elkayam and Feery stated. Generally speaking an employer can discipline an employee who fails to report to work as scheduled during inclement weather (although, depending uponthe circumstances, employers may decide to be more lenient.) document.head.append(temp_style); You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. You have successfully saved this page as a bookmark. What happens if I work overtime during inclement weather? var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); Specifically, "Hansen did not 'definitively determine the precise parameters of a co-employee's personal duties to a fellow employee sufficient to support an actionable claim of negligence.'. What options do I have? Under the FLSA, an exempt salaried employee who is ready, willing and able to work (and has worked at least a few minutes during the payroll week) must be paid his or her usual salary each day, even if the employer has no work for the employee. An inclement weather policy has two dimensions: The first and most important is employee safety; the second is pay.