Employers across the Civil Service were responsible for managing attendance at work in their own organisations during Storm Emma. Civil Service organisations provide different and complex services in locations across the country. Each employer was best placed to determine the individual needs of their organisations and to assess the risks to staff of attending work. In certain areas of the Civil Service staff were required to be in work. In instances where facilities were available many civil servants worked from home on the days that offices were closed.
While there is no legal obligation on employers to pay staff who do not make it into work, other than where there may be contractual obligations, there are considerations from an engagement and morale perspective. Where a public office or service is closed by the employer on the basis that the risk was too great to the safety of the workforce and/or customers, staff cannot come to work. There could be long-term implications if the employer then refused to pay staff for what is essentially a forced absence.
