Extreme and Severe Weather Events

While it’s been made clear in recent media coverage that employers have no legal obligation to pay employees for days taken off due to storms and extreme weather conditions provided they have been given adequate notice, it is worth considering all the available options.

From the more hardline legal position of employees not being paid or taking annual leave for the days not worked when their place of work closed, employers are being encouraged by various interested groups, from the Taoiseach to business representative organisations, to explore all available options including employees working remotely or working back the time lost.Unfortunately for production companies and venues who had to cancel events, there’s the loss of box-office income as well as staff, cast and crew costs. Some events will be impossible to reschedule. Companies and festivals are encouraged to check what insurance cover, specifically cancellation and abandonment, they had in place or talking to their broker about minimising the cost of rescheduling events.

For everyone involved in these difficult situations, it is worth carefully examining all available options while also meeting contractual obligations. Long-term, maintaining the goodwill of employees, touring company cast and crews, and audiences might be more valuable than reducing payroll and ticket refund costs in the short term.We’ll advise members of changes to employment contracts and insurance cover that would enable everyone to better manage these situations in the future.

Resources:
Absence during extreme weather events
Workplace Relations Commission