Adverse Weather Update

As you may be aware UNISON advised the council that the terms of the adverse weather policy should be fully relaxed given the serious weather conditions last week.

As at last Friday, the council were clearly stating that the policy would be applied and staff unable to report for work would be debited flexi leave or annual leave.

Following exerted pressure from the branch the council advised us on Monday of this week that they had relaxed their position in response to UNISON’s arguments. The accommodation they were prepared to reach is set out below.

Whilst this accommodation does not fully address our position – which was that no-one should be asked to use flexi leave or annual leave due to being unable to report for work. It is a significant shift in position from where they stood last Friday.

There is also an agreement between UNISON and the council to review the terms of the adverse weather policy moving forward.

1. In recognition of the severe weather warning and the ‘RED’ Alert status in neighbouring authorities, employees who were unable to attend work or work from home on Thursday 1st March will be granted one day special leave.

2. Employees who attended work on Thursday 1st March can request ‘time off in lieu’ (toil) which matches their normal working hours for the day. They should speak to their manager/supervisor and this will be granted subject to the exigencies of the service in the normal way.

3. Those staff who attended work on Wednesday and/or Friday but did not work their normal business hours due to weather conditions will be credited with their full business day.

4. For employees unable to attend work on Wednesday or Friday then the councils ‘Attendance During Adverse weather’ policy will apply. Employees who incur debit hours as a result of non-attendance should be given a reasonable period of time to work the time back. In line with the policy, where employees were not required to report for duty due to their work location being closed then credited time can be given for the day.

5. Where managers are satisfied that employees have worked from home on Wednesday and/or Friday then employees would be credited for that day in the normal way.

6. Employees absent as a result of sickness or on pre-planned leave will remain as such over this period.

Robin Taggart
Branch Secretary
Unison (Inverclyde Branch)
Old Library
30 Bawhirley Road,
Greenock
PA15 2BH