How Do You Pay For Old Man Winter?
by Susan Martin
Snow, sleet and freezing rain may not stop your mail carrier, but the winter elements may get in the way of employees arriving at work.
What the law says
Under federal law, employers are not required to pay hourly employees who do not report for work because of severe weather or who report for work and then are told the company is closing because of severe weather. (Note: Union contracts may include different pay requirements.)
Common employer practices
According to a 2013 survey of 196 metro St. Louis and central Illinois companies conducted by AAIM Employers’ Association, if employees receive advance notice of a weather-related closure, 37% of the employers require hourly employees to use vacation or other paid time off to be paid for the day. However, employees at 27% of the surveyed companies are paid for the full day even though the company is closed. Employees at 16% are not paid and those at 1% are paid for a flat number of hours, while 19% never close (such as hospitals).
If the company closes after employees arrive, 44% of the companies pay their hourly workers for the full day. Other employers (32%) pay only for the actual hours worked. A smaller number of employers (13%) require employees to use paid time off, while 6% pay for a flat number of hours as “show-up” time. The remaining 5% indicate a variety of other pay practices.
Susan Martin (susan.martin@aaimea.org) is member answer center coordinator for AAIM Employers’ Association, which helps Missouri and Illinois companies manage their people and processes.