What does your place of work do about snow?

[Missy1961]

I work in NYC. We will be open unless the city declares an emergency. If there is no emergency & I can't make it in, I will have to take a PTO. (my trains may suspend service if there is more than 10 inches of snow.) It is what it is, after 26 years I am used to it.

 

[akcire]

OP-sorry, but tell your brother welcome to the real world

At my office, you go to work no matter what.

If you are lucky the snow has been removed by the time you get to work/need to leave work, and the salt has been put on the sidewalks. If you are not, hope you brought tall boots for walking to your car.

**If you are nice to the security guards when you walk out they will let you borrow their snow brush. Yes I have my own, however if I can borrow theirs I can clean the car and then open the door. As opposed to opening the back door to get the snow brush and have a big pile fall into the backseat.

The only exception is a couple of the wheelchair using employees. If the snow is more than a foot, we just tell them to stay home (paid). It is hard for us to push their wheelchair in the snow or carry the wheelchairs into the building--of course this never stops them from showing up at work. On more than one occasion I have trotted out to help one of them make it in from the parking lot, only to fall flat on my face behind the wheelchair. One of the girls even has a super high tech wheelchair that can climbs stairs, and if two inches of snow falls the thing is worthless. I should invent the snow/ski wheelchair!

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

My company's policy is to follow what the school district that my office is located in does. If they are closed for snow so are we. If they are just delayed (usually due to cold) we are not delayed. That school district was closed today so my office was closed too. My DD's school district (not where my office is located) also closed.

But the thing is - - we didn't get it as bad as the forecasters said we were going to. We got maybe 3" of light fluffy snow during the morning commute but by 10:30am the snow stopped and the sun even peeked out. I shoveled the driveway and sidewalk and now they are just wet since the sun melted the rest. We SO could have gone to work and school today. Ooops!

But tonight we are supposed to get another couple inches and the winds are supposed to be 25-40 MPH so the light fluffy snow on the ground is going to cause large drifts. I wonder what tomorrow holds in store for us??

 

[Evil Genius]

I have never worked for a company that closed for snow. Here in Chicago it's just a way of life. You suck it up and get on the road. Even if it means sitting in your car for a few hours.

 

[zeferjen]

Luckily I work for a company that makes it very easy to work from home, as does DH. Daycare will probably be closed but we will probably be able to juggle calls and keep the kids occupied and when that gets old they will look like this

 

[ZPT1022]

I'm a SAHM so snow days for me mean the kids are home all day driving me nuts.

DH works for the utility company and drives a company van all around the state so they do sometimes send them home if the weather is really bad (snow, or even sometimes severe thunderstorms, etc..). For his company, the liability of all those employees out on the road in company vehicles and/or climbing utility poles and such is not worth it.

 

[Christine]

Right now, I work for the Federal Government so the taxpayers (of which I am one of) are paying for my day off. It is very nice not to have to stress over it.

Prior to that, I was a defense contractor (private company) supporting government clients. When it snowed, we either had to take a day of vacation, telework if it was prearranged, or come in.

Your brother has to remember that he works for a private company. Snow days paid by the company come directly out of their overhead or profit. It cannot be billed back to your client. Most companies (especially now) do not have the cash flow to give everyone a paid day off, or more, for snow. It would totally crumble their budget.

 

[marcyinPA]

I'm a preschool teacher, so if our local school district is closed, then our preschool is usually closed too.

My DH always went into work, whether there was one flake or one foot. Unfortunately, he was laid off yesterday, so he'll be home now...to shovel.

 

[locolala]

DH is so fortunate (and he knows it!) because at the job he's in now, he's not essential personnel. Three months ago, he was in a job where he was essential. We're thinking he may not go back to work until Tuesday, which is interesting because he's not actually going to work.. he's starting a month long class and will get to go to said class in civillian clothes!

 

[FireDancer]

In my years of working only once have we had to close due to snow and that was because the Federal Reserve in Cleveland was closed and we close when they do. Come in or take PTO is the way it is here. If someone can't make it in they won't get written up unless of course they are out of PTO. Then it comes down to managing your PTO and always having some in reserve for emergencies.

OP, let your brother know that out here in the big boy world you don't get to take off just because of snow. He will have to do what his employer requires. This is a part of life and isn't going to change unless he goes into a field that closes when it snows.

 

[bluesaturn]

Tell your brother to come onto the DIS and post a vent about having to work in the snow. If you whine on this board everyone will support you no matter what. However, if anyone in the real world whines they will immediately be condemned on this board for being a special snowflake.

 

[disney1990]

I have always worked in offices that, we only got paid if we came to work. For years, I was the one that made it into the office most days.

However, now that I am a bit older, I careful weight everything. What if I try to get to work and wreck my car? Then where am I? If I feel I can safely get to work, then I go. If not, I stay home. I have even attempted to go to work on a couple occasions, only to turn around and go back home.

Getting to work is not risking my life or my car. In the end, it will only be more out of my pocket if I have an accident. Life will go on if I don't make it to work.

 

[DVC-Don]

Snow just happens here every year so we just leave extra early to make it in on time.

Actually I'm a big fan of Washington D.C. shutting down as that means it's the less they can mess with us.

 

[DarthKTrava]

Even some fast food joints don't close. We've had to go in every day, even if there's snow on the ground. They don't really make a huge stink if some don't show up as it's not as busy. I just leave earlier than usual and take my time. Recently they've gotten more inclined to open later and close earlier than normal without a whole lot of fuss.

 

[quentina]

I run C stores however; years ago, I worked in the store. What I did was....I got in my car and drove slow. One year, I hitched rides with the snow plowers....they needed us to stay open. People need to have full gas tanks for the time it is parked in the driveway!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Hubby's company evidently allows work from home.

They are getting a blizzard tomorrow and he doesn't expect he will be into work physically until Friday. He is in Northern VA.

Work for the most part is portable. I can understand for places of employment where the work simply is not. It would not make sense to shut down for predictable weather that is not depedant on customer traffic.

 

[BroganMc]

He works for a advertising company so they are not essential employees. He can not telecommute. They told them that they can take a vacation day or try to come in. They only way they will be closed is if a state of emergency is declared. Now that might very well happen bc we are in SEPA and we already have 25 inches on the ground, and 12- 18 more to come.

Sorry but that just drives me crazy. How stupid does the company have to be? You're working a field that can easily be adapted to telecommuting (all that's needed is a decent broadband connection, teleconferencing and Skype) but the idiot bosses require employees to put their vehicles out on the roads for what? Do they not realize this is exactly why we're having such a hard time clearing all the roads?

Road crews, fire rescue & police have enough to deal with beside yanking some idiot advertiser out of a ditch because his boss is a cheap jerk.

I work with computers so technically I get no snow days. The only time I am unable to work is because I am sick in bed or have no electricity. I'm fine with it because I can work anywhere (just need broadband and a computer) and stay off the roads when it's too dangerous.

If your brother finds his boss has no common sense then tell him to start looking for another boss.

 

[mrodgers]

I live in north western PA. It's just snow. 6 inches or 3 feet, I'll go to work. Why waste a vacation day over a little snow?

We have people who will call off because of 1 inch of snow. For most, they can't just take a vacation day. They have to have those scheduled and approved. We only get 3 sick days, so if you have 3 days where it snows, you're done if that's what you want to do.

if it gets above 2 feet, I might think about leaving the little tiny Honda Civic in the driveway and take my wife's 4WD. We only got 18-21 inches this past weekend and everything was cleared up and the roads were dry by Monday. Tonight they are calling for another 10-12 inches, that's just a dusting

 

[Tinkmom75]

Sorry but that just drives me crazy. How stupid does the company have to be? You're working a field that can easily be adapted to telecommuting (all that's needed is a decent broadband connection, teleconferencing and Skype) but the idiot bosses require employees to put their vehicles out on the roads for what? Do they not realize this is exactly why we're having such a hard time clearing all the roads?

Road crews, fire rescue & police have enough to deal with beside yanking some idiot advertiser out of a ditch because his boss is a cheap jerk.

I work with computers so technically I get no snow days. The only time I am unable to work is because I am sick in bed or have no electricity. I'm fine with it because I can work anywhere (just need broadband and a computer) and stay off the roads when it's too dangerous.

If your brother finds his boss has no common sense then tell him to start looking for another boss.

AMEN, our head hancho doesn't trust anyone so if your butt is not in your office then you must not be working.

 

[lecach]

I work for a retirement community so we never close. We have to use vacation days if we cant there in snow. BUT if we do get there we get $35 extra pay per shift and free food (breakfast and lunch).