What is inclement weather?

Inclement weather describes unusual or severe weather conditions that can affect safe travel and your business’s operations. The types of inclement weather you cover in your company’s policy may depend on your business’s location.

For example, if you run a retail store in upstate New York, a small amount of snow may not be considered inclement weather because local and regional road maintenance crews likely have the equipment and experience needed to keep streets and highways open for travel. Employees may also be more confident driving safely in the snow if it’s a frequent occurrence.

However, if that same amount of snow falls in a warmer climate, such as Jacksonville, Florida, it’s likely to create dangerous road conditions. Employees might be less comfortable driving on slippery roads. In this case, even several inches of snow could be considered severe weather.

What to cover in your severe weather policy guidelines

Regardless of your industry, the size of your business or the number of employees, inclement weather policies generally cover three main issues: safety, business operations and employee compensation. This may include addressing sick days and paid time off (PTO) during weather-related closures.

Consider how your employees travel to and from work by creating guidelines around weather-related disruptions to local roads and public transit. This could include details about what happens if the public bus service is delayed or suspended in your region and policies regarding road closures.

For example, an employee who normally commutes to work using the subway may be unable to if trains are disrupted due to flooding. In this situation, you might allow the employee to work from home (WFH), give them an unpaid day off or cover the cost of a taxi.

Your inclement weather policies should also include how your company responds if:

• Weather disrupts the power, water or communications at your business
• Your remote employees lose power or internet connectivity due to inclement weather at their location
• Weather conditions are too severe for outdoor work, but workers can still work safely inside your facility
• Employees with school-aged children can’t come to work because of weather-related school closures or school bus cancellations
• An on-site employee can’t return home following a shift due to inclement weather, requiring shelter at a local hotel
• Local authorities or government offices issue an evacuation order or closure recommendations for your business’s location

As you write an inclement weather policy, create a list of possible weather conditions that could interrupt the business and prevent employees from getting to work safely, such as storms, hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes and severe wind storms.

You may need to write location-specific inclement weather policies if your business operates in several locations or employees travel outside your area for work purposes.

Safety and emergency procedures

A strong inclement weather policy should prioritize employee safety by establishing clear procedures for severe weather conditions. When extreme weather threatens your area, a well-defined plan can help protect your team and ensure a swift, organized response. Your policy should also specify how to report hazardous weather conditions, such as icy walkways, power outages or flooding, so you can address issues quickly.

Communication is critical for staying safe during inclement weather. Establish a reliable system for providing updates on office closures, weather-related disruptions or changes to business operations. This might include sending text messages, emails or updates via messaging platforms, such as Slack. 

How employee classification affects inclement weather policies

When developing inclement weather policies, understanding employee classification can help you stay compliant. The way you handle pay and attendance during extreme weather events may differ depending on whether your employees are classified as exempt or nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Exempt employees are paid a fixed salary and generally aren’t eligible for overtime. According to FLSA guidelines, if an exempt employee performs any work during a week affected by inclement weather, they must receive their full salary for that week, even if your business closes for a day or two due to severe weather conditions. 

Nonexempt employees are paid hourly, meaning they’re only compensated for the hours they work. If your business closes due to inclement weather, you generally don’t have to pay nonexempt employees for the hours they miss. Some companies choose to pay for a minimum number of hours to support affected employees and help boost morale.

Your inclement weather policy should clearly outline how you will handle employee compensation during weather-related disruptions. This includes specifying procedures for reporting absences, using PTO or vacation days and any provisions for compensatory time. Transparent communication helps employees manage reporting if they can’t work due to hazardous conditions, power outages or other emergencies.

Inclement weather policy example

Although it’s impractical to include every possible weather-related situation in your inclement weather policies, you can cover the most likely scenarios.

Consider these examples when writing your inclement weather policy:

• Conditions that make it unsafe to work under the guidelines of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) or state recommendations
• Full or partial closure of the company
• An employee who suffered damage to their home during inclement weather
• Employee compensation during extended weather-related closures, such as when a hurricane shuts down utilities in your region
• Who is responsible for deciding whether your business closes due to extreme weather

Once you’ve developed a general inclement weather policy, you can adjust it to cover specific circumstances.

Communicating closures due to inclement weather

If your business closes due to inclement weather, you need to inform staff, suppliers, sales reps and anyone else who planned to visit your organization before the closure.

Social media, texts and email can be valuable tools for checking in and sharing information with many people. However, it’s crucial to plan backup systems in case one communication channel is out of service during a storm.

Create a specific section in your severe weather policy that details how you will communicate weather-related operational changes to collaborators. Unless your clients and customers are local, they may be unaware of severe weather impacting your business. In these situations, it’s critical to let your suppliers, customers and collaborators know what’s happening with your region’s weather.

Managing schedules during inclement weather events

If your employees can work remotely during inclement weather, you might include policies regarding flexible work arrangements in your policy.

Your severe weather policy guidelines may also cover weather-related situations impacting individual employees, such as flooding at a worker’s home or storm damage to their property. Staff with children may rely on schools or daycare, which means they may be unable to get to work when weather disrupts these services.

Business continuity planning

A comprehensive inclement weather policy should go beyond immediate safety concerns and address business continuity planning. This part of the policy outlines the procedures to keep your operations running smoothly during weather-related disruptions. Identify your business’s critical functions, such as the essential tasks that must continue despite the inclement weather.

Develop contingency plans for maintaining these functions. For example, you might instruct workers to activate the backup power system during a power outage. Another part of the policy might address what to do if essential employees aren’t able to travel due to the weather. In this situation, you could permit remote work or identify people who can fill in for on-site positions.

A well-structured business continuity plan helps your business adapt to bad weather, maintain productivity, and safeguard your employees and business interests.

Creating your inclement weather policy

An effective inclement weather policy is generally tailored to suit your industry, working practices and location. For example, while most office-based businesses can operate during heavy rain, a construction site could become dangerous. By considering these factors, you can prepare the company effectively and minimize operational issues due to inclement weather.