HR Dept offering free advice to SMEs affected by the floods

By Zebra Colour

16 Dec 2015

To support SMEs affected by the floods, the HR Dept is offering free advice on staffing related issues.

It is undeniable that bad weather has a bad effect on business. In some parts of the UK families and businesses have been devastated as homes and premises are damaged by really awful weather in the run-up to Christmas. There are so many issues to get sorted, not least how quickly insurance can pay out, or when they can get their homes and workplaces back to normal. But what should employers do if their staff have been affected by the floods and what are their responsibilities to their staff if their own business has been waterlogged?

What happens if your staff cannot get to work?

Your contract with your staff is based on the premise that an employee is only entitled to be paid for the work they have done. If the problem is the inability to get to work, and homes have not been affected, you could consider home working as an interim option. If this is not possible, and while you are under no obligation to do so, you may want to consider the good-will that might be generated by paying your staff as normal, particularly at this time of year. You could even offer to give this payment as a loan to be paid back over the next few months.

What allowances do you need to make for employees whose homes have been damaged by floods? How could you support them?

Employees have a statutory right to unpaid time off to deal with emergencies relating to their dependants but strictly speaking, this does not cover an emergency caused by home flooding. You may wish to, or indeed have already, give unpaid time off to deal with the immediate damage to their property. Some businesses will have policies in place regarding domestic emergencies, so make sure you review your handbook and policies. It is going to be an incredibly emotional time for affected staff, some will have lost everything including Christmas gifts and their plans will be in disarray. There is no doubt going to be a financial impact too, particularly while they wait for the insurance to pay out, what help is available in the area that they could be pointed towards?

What should you consider for your staff if your offices are damaged and closed?

The contract with your staff remains in place so a decision about when, if ever, the business can reopen should be made and communicated, and your ongoing obligations as an employer met. If reopening is going to be within a reasonable time, could your staff take holiday to help? If this is not possible then you may be facing redundancies or if your employment contract allows for it, laying staff off for a period of time. However, for some businesses there may be the opportunity to work from an alternative site, home, or even the business owner’s dining room! But consider consulting with the local business community, do any unaffected businesses have spare desks that you could use temporarily for example?

In other parts of the country and in Ireland other adverse weather and indeed engineering issues, such as the Forth Bridge Closure are having a serious impact on businesses. It is estimated the haulage industry are losing £600,000 per day currently, due to the Forth Bridge closures.

If you haven’t been affected this time, be prepared as it is the season for extreme weather, when forecasts are gloomy make sure you;

• Warn employees that transport lines may be affected, roads may not be fully gritted and that naturally the traffic is going to slow down, so allow plenty of time to get into work.

• Raise awareness as to what employees should do if they can’t get to work.

• Communicate that unauthorised absence (as usual) won’t be tolerated.

• Inform your staff that they could take annual leave if they feel they can't safely get in.

• Consider some business continuity planning, it doesn’t have to be complicated but thinking through all the alternatives beforehand may make the difference if it does happen to you in the future.

Back to the current crisis, there is help out there. Businesses are pledging free communications software support, loans and even workspace so do look into the support available.

For our part, The HR Dept will give you half hour of free advice on any staffing related issues caused by the recent flooding and bad weather until the end of January.

Call Andrew Charnock at HR Dept on 07875 645 879 for further details.

www.hrdept.co.uk/offices/north/central-lancashire  

Enjoyed this? Read more from Zebra Colour

Latest news

1

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University Keir Starmer meets Indian PM and included Prof Simon Guy Lancaster University. Pic Simon Dawson

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University

09 Oct 2025

2

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026 Best Events and Talented students on Lancashire Tourism Awards finalist list

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026

09 Oct 2025

3

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards Andrew Dewhurst with the award win

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards

09 Oct 2025

4

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool Jason Davenport PHX Training

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool

09 Oct 2025

5

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m Velocity Composites Has Announced Its Entry Into The Us Market

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m

08 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Empowering Franchise Growth in the North West
Empowering Franchise Growth in the North West event
LBV Hub Seminars
09 Oct 2025 - 09 Oct 2025

Empowering Franchise Growth in the North West

Forbes Solicitors, Sceptre Way, Walton Summit Centre, PR5 6AW, PR6 6AW

08:00 - 10:00

Empowering franchise growth in the North West
TFA Event - Empowering Franchise Growth.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
09 Oct 2025 - 09 Oct 2025

Empowering franchise growth in the North West

Forbes Solicitors Sceptre Way Walton Summit Centre , Preston, PR5 6AW

08:00 - 10:00

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th
Ai 10.10.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Oct 2025 - 10 Oct 2025

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 12:00

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials
EventBrite NORi - 15th Oct 2025 Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials

Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Teams, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West

Strathmore Hotel, Morecambe, LA4 5AP

08:00 - 10:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Header (26).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

October Freelancer Meet-Up
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

October Freelancer Meet-Up

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine
LBV Advert_Autumn Reset 1200 x 630px.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine

The Artistry House , Preston , PR1 3JJ

17:30 - 19:30

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin