Pay for a snow day?

When heavy snow or other kinds of severe weather prevent employees from getting to work, small business owners may wonder if they have to pay their staffers. It’s an issue for a company whose business doesn’t lend itself to telecommuting.

Owners need to weigh the economics against worker morale, human resources consultants say.

If the business is closed, there’s no obligation to pay hourly workers (salaried staffers cannot have their pay docked). But while some owners may feel that they can’t afford to pay workers who can’t be productive, bosses need to remember that it’s a tight labor market and staffers who feel penalized may go looking for more sympathetic employment elsewhere.

The same question arises if the business is able to open but staffers who live far away are snowed in, or if their children’s schools are closed and the staffers need to stay home with them. HR consultants recommend owners be guided by whether it’s safe for people to be on the roads near their homes. If not, an owner may want to give them a break.

But if it’s a bad winter with a lot of snow, owners may at some point need to ask staffers to make up some lost time or use some of their vacation days. And if it’s a school closing issue, workers may need to find backup child care.

It’s an issue for a company whose business doesn’t lend itself to telecommuting.