When snow arrives and covers the streets 3″-10″ or a Hurricane warning of possible evacuations scan the Televisions, do you still pay your employees that cannot work?
When this question comes up in conversation just know that there are two different types of employees, non-exempt and exempt:
Non-exempt employees (subject to overtime pay) it is simple, they are paid for the time they work. Whether or not your company is closed or they do not report to work you are not obligated to pay them. You can however decide if you will allow your employees to use vacation or PTO to cover the specific days they are taken off due to inclement weather.
Exempt Employees (not subject to overtime pay) are different. From SESCO Management they state “if they are ready, willing, and able to work; this is so even if the employer closes for the day, they should be paid.” However you are by law stay open during a weather emergency and deduct a full day/s work if the employee does not report to work. The Department of Labor will determine this a day off for personal reasons, which then you can take vacation time or other paid leave options to cover the day/s. Just to clarify it has to be a full day and cannot be less than a full day.
Source: Paying Employees in the Event of Inclement Weather.
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