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Do employees get paid for bad weather shutdowns?

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Are businesses required to pay employees during bad weather shutdowns?   Many companies have faced an emergency shutdown due to severe weather, so it is important to know whether you need to pay employees during those shutdowns.  Pay requirements differ by employee classification and by state law.

Bad Weather Pay Procedures:  Do you pay employees during an emergency closure?   Are you required to pay your employees during that time?  The answer is “yes”,  ”no”, and “sometimes”.

NO– You usually do not have to pay hourly employees when the business is closed down due to an extended emergency, especially if you have a written policy stating that you do NOT pay during closures due to inclement weather or natural disaster.

Get your policies in writing: It is important to put your policies in writing and communicate it to all employees.  Consider purchasing a professionally done Employee Handbook, which will cover this policy along with many others.

SOMETIMES– Some states do insist on Reporting-to-Duty pay that says you must pay any employee who shows up to work as scheduled even if there is no work available.  Among those states are CA, CT, DC, MA, NH, NJ, NY, OR and RI, though some limit it to certain industries while others only to minors (OR).  So even if the business is closed, if the employee makes it to the worksite you have to pay.  The rules differ by state on Reporting-to-Duty Pay, but they usually require a half-day’s pay: 2 hrs minimum, 4 hrs maximum.  Some states also limit Reporting Time Pay to just those who are scheduled to work 4 or more hours.  See your particular state’s website for details on applicable labor law.

Plan ahead:  Be prepared in case of an emergency shutdown by having an up-to-date contact list for your employees.  If your business must close, especially for more than a day, then call all employees and revise their schedules as needed.


 

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YES– Salaried exempt employees must be paid if they work anytime during a workweek and are available to work the remaining days, whether they actually work or not.  You cannot cut an exempt employee’s pay just because you cannot get your full 40 hours out of them this week, just like you do not have to pay them OT during those busy weeks when they work more than 40 hrs.  Be sure you have your employees correctly classified.  Some businesses think they can classify anyone as Exempt, but that is not true.  Generally, these jobs demand an advanced degree, pay in commissions, or are an executive position.  The usual employees who can be exempt are:
1. Upper Management
2. Certain Other Management
3. Certain Creative Professionals
4. Certain Advanced-degree Professionals
5. Certain High-Paid Technical Employees
6. Certain Highly Commissioned Sales People

Have the correct policies in place: Once again, this is an area where a good Employee Handbook can help.  Set up your employee policies for OT, Exempt Employee Deductions, Inclement Weather, Natural Disaster, and Report to Duty Pay.  Consider a professionally designed Employee Handbook, customized to your business.

Typical call-in procedures:  Your written bad weather policy  should tell your employees what is expected of them.  Usually, it will state that they are to call-in (if phone system is operating).  The call-in is considered an excused absence.  If you pay for bad weather days, you should state the amount of hours and who is eligible (full-time? part-time? temp employees?).

What is considered “bad weather”?  Your written policy should give examples of what is considered inclement weather.  Some typical weather reasons are: snow, whiteout, ice storm, severe flooding, dust storm, hurricane, tornado warning.    (You should also add a paragraph on closure due to such things as earthquake, explosion, fire, utility outage, or terrorist attack.)

Have your policy in writing. It is important that you let your employees know what your policy is whenever a shutdown should occur. The best way is to get your Bad Weather Policy in writing before the event happens.   As part of your Employee Handbook, you should have a policy for inclement weather, stating your pay policy (usually it is “day off without pay”), call-in procedures, and examples of what is considered “bad weather”.

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For specific understanding of how the law applies to you or your organization, please seek legal or tax counsel. Genuine HR has not made and cannot make any such advice. It is not the responsibility or duty of Genuine HR to assess a site-user’s or client’s need for any such legal or financial services at any time. The advice and strategies contained in our articles, products, and services may not be suitable for every situation. If legal, financial or other expert assistance is required, the services of competent professionals should be sought.

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