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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think offices should close in this weather?

48 replies

Registryofficepanic · 02/03/2018 15:51

We’re in a part of the country with about 6 inches of snow and it’s been going on for 3 days, all schools and most offices are shut.

DH works in a town and we live in a nearby village. He’s in a non essential industry (sales) and has been expected in Work all day everyday.

The snow is now chucking it down very heavy and the main roads back have both been closed due to accidents so he’ll have to take back routes through country lanes. He’s asked his boss if he can leave early before it gets any worse and his boss has told him ‘we close at 6 so you can leave at 6’ I’m worried about the roads and DH driving in it.

AIBU to think when it’s truly dangerous conditions, non essential businesses should close their offices? To save staff from fretting between risking their lives or their jobs.

OP posts:
Whatshallidonowpeople · 02/03/2018 15:53

If people are happy not to be paid

TooStressyForMyOwnGood · 02/03/2018 15:53

YANBU. Ridiculous and unfair management behaviour and of course workers will then feel obliged to make dangerous journeys for fear of losing their jobs.

Original poster
Registryofficepanic · 02/03/2018 15:54

To not dripfeed, DH did offer to take the last few hours unpaid but this was rejected.

OP posts:
ScreamingValenta · 02/03/2018 15:55

Staff should be allowed to make sensible decisions about whether it's safe to travel. If there aren't enough staff who can safely travel to resource the office, then it should close.

What are others doing at your DH's workplace? Is there anyone else he can speak to about his concerns? Has he offered to take the time as emergency hols/unpaid/TOIL?

ScreamingValenta · 02/03/2018 15:56

Sorry, x-posted with you.

falsepriest · 02/03/2018 15:56

Couldn't get my car off the driveway this morning, so couldn't get in. Rest of the office can do what they like.

TalkinPeace · 02/03/2018 15:57

If companies are not up together enough to have remote working set up in this day and age they are muppets.

My office is working full pelt today - but all of us are working from home - email and phone diversion are wonderful things

LimonViola · 02/03/2018 15:58

That's sales for you. Every single second of the day has to be drumming up profit. I don't expect employers in sales to care about their staff beyond what they can bring in.

ShinyMe · 02/03/2018 16:02

@TalkinPeace but not every type of work is suitable for working from home, even with phone and email diversion. You can't sell cars from home, or serve coffees, or run a library.... I work in student support and while yes, I can make phone calls and answer emails from home, I can't access the student data records because of GDPR. I rely heavily on face to face interactions and a secure database on a software package that can't be accessed from home because of security laws.

SillySallySingsSongs · 02/03/2018 16:05

If companies are not up together enough to have remote working set up in this day and age they are muppets.

Fine and dandy if your job enables you to do that. Not all jobs do!

Littledrummergirl · 02/03/2018 16:12

Dh works nightshift in a supermarket fifteen miles away. We had an amber alert do not travel warning last night, dh told his duty manager he couldn't get there. The duty manager suggested he walk!

Dh stayed home as he will tonight because it's snowing again. Our road isn't gritted and all trains and busses are cancelled (as they should be). If he was a priority service, or had people depending on him then it would be worth him risking life and limb to get there but not to fill shelves with stock that shouldn't might not get there due to police advice not to travel.
He will take it unpaid, I would rather know he is safe.

TalkinPeace · 02/03/2018 16:12

shinyme
a secure database on a software package that can't be accessed from home because of security laws
Where in GDPR does it ban remote working?
just that I've been doing rather a lot of training on that lately

The OP said her DH was in sales
have they really had that many people coming through the door in this weather? Really ?

abilockhart · 02/03/2018 16:13

I agree with TalkinPeace. Many companies could easily setup remote working but haven't. A big problem across the UK is that so many organisations are run by idiots still stuck in the middle of the last century.

DGRossetti · 02/03/2018 16:16

A big problem across the UK is that so many organisations are run by idiots still stuck in the middle of the last century.

Putting it that way makes it sound like it will improve.

I've met managers 20 years younger than me that insist on staff being in. Makes me wonder why I did telecommunications at Uni, really.

On a separate note, wasn't there a bit of discussion last heavy snowfall we had, that companies that require their staff to attend in severe weather may find themselves liable in the event of an accident ?

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 02/03/2018 16:17

talkin

I mentioned on another thread that my friend had a number of comments while working about customers being sent home early from their work and deciding to go shopping instead

And apparently it was as busy as usual

Polarbearflavour · 02/03/2018 16:18

My office is closed, we can either work from home, take annual leave or use flexi. Because work has closed the site I’m not sure if people would have to take unpaid leave if they have no annual leave left and no laptop.

Most office jobs are not important enough to require attendance in severe weather. I wonder how the manager would react if OP’s DH got into a road traffic collision and was seriously injured and off work for weeks?

I honestly think it’s mad that so many employers expect staff to put their lives in danger going to work. I can understand healthcare staff, emergency workers etc trying to get into work as their jobs really matter. But even then they shouldn’t be driving in blizzards should they?!

TalkinPeace · 02/03/2018 16:21

Rufus
Some retail, particularly in covered shopping centres, I can see the point
but most offices (which is what the thread commenced with) I really struggle to see the benefit.

If I phone my office landline, the call will be answered right away and the admin lady will have the database there to assist the query.
But I know she is at home with her kids.
Good on her.
The boss is at home with his grandchildren - while working on policy documents that he keeps emailing to me

We do not have to be in the same room to work effectively.
That is the case for many offices.

user1471426142 · 02/03/2018 16:25

It’s ridiculous. Most jobs aren’t that important that you can’t send staff home in dangerous conditions. It is obviously a different situation if you’re working in a hospital or other essential service. If people are worried about getting home they’re hardly going to be doing a great job anyway. As a manager I’d rather send my team home knowing they are safe and knowing they haven’t had a hideous 3 hour journey. Because I am flexible they will work hard for me when i need them to do extra hours etc. Generally people work harder for managers that aren’t complete twats. That seems obvious but it can’t be when you hear how horrid some managers are to their staff.

Believeitornot · 02/03/2018 16:26

If people are happy not to be paid

I bet this rules doesn’t apply to those in more senior positions Hmm

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 02/03/2018 16:27

talkin

In this case its a dress shop in the open in an out of town shopping centre

I cant see that someones need to buy a dress is essential

I am struggling to see what retail should be open when police have said not to travel unless essential Grin

Mountain warehouse maybe (sorry mountain warehouse people )

Spoke to dh earlier who is working from home...most of their administrative staff cant (but the office has closed)

LouiseCollins28 · 02/03/2018 16:28

Management behavior in this instance does sound inflexible. Closing a little early doesn't seem likely to be hugely damaging to the business, but it should be the business owner's decision IMO. I would say a couple of things though.

Firstly, many, many "office" jobs do actually require you to be in the office to do them effectively. Case/account management systems may not be available remotely for example.

Second, I do think people have a responsibility to ensure they can get to or from their home to their place of work or make robust alternative arrangements if that really isn't possible. If all else fails, unpaid leave, then at least the employer isn't absorbing the cost of paying somebody who should be at work when they aren't and are not unwell.

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 02/03/2018 16:29

I must say though that our management is very good

Its head office and the shopping centre that are the problem

krustykittens · 02/03/2018 16:30

Wot Believeitornot said. I wonder how many people getting stuck for hours on the roads are people who are living month to month and can't afford to be docked pay, even though they have been told not to travel?

TalkinPeace · 02/03/2018 16:32

Case/account management systems may not be available remotely for example.
Well they flipping well should be.
My accounts system is cloud based. I'm doing credit control in the other tab as I sit here.

Any organisation which has not built multi location resilience into their computer systems is an arse IMHO
and the best way to do that is backups and cloud / remote working.

My gym is shut because the manager does not want his staff risking their lives to get there (read about what happened on the A31 last knight to see why)
Us members just have to lump it.

Passportto · 02/03/2018 16:33

I suspect for six inches of snow it's not strictly necessary but for the last couple of hours on a Friday, when no-one's focused and customers are unlikely to be buying anyway, it's very petty to insist they stay.

GDPR as a barrier to working from home is nonsense. The cost involved for a school/college to set up secure remote working is a valid barrier though, especially when it would likely only be used a few days every couple of years.