Really High Levels Of Snow for Britain Are Stopping Workers From Travelling To Work
posted in Bricks and Mortar Business |We probably have had higher levels of snow this winter than for a number of years in the UK. Because of this, we are not prepared. Even small amounts of snow have in the past caused trouble for the highways agency in keeping our roads passable, and the railway lines have had an equally tough time ascertaining that trains can get where they need to be. Airports, too, suffer as it is not prudent for planes to land or take off.
As I run an Internet Business from my home, I did not need to travel into the snow, but with a quick view of Facebook this morning, I saw messages from many of my contacts. Quite a few of this morning’s posts revolved around the snow. There were some moaning that they were unable to get to work due to inaccessible roads and were therefore going to Work From Home. Others told that their children were at home as the schools were closed, due to the fact that teachers were not able to make their way into school. Somebody else was unsure whether he would be able to get back to the UK as airports were closed, or working at reduced levels.
How many working days are to be lost due to severe weather? It would certainly make sense, if the snow is to last any length of time, for businesses to have policies in place to allow employees to Work From Home when weather is bad. Going out onto unsafe roads, in order to try to get to the office, could cause major headaches for employees, anxious not to let their company down. Being on roads which are not properly gritted, or not gritted at all, can be the reason behind accidents – especially as we are not accustomed to driving in such conditions in the United Kingdom. Motors can break down as they overheat, causing more work for the Green Flag, which means everybody has to wait longer for recovery.
The way many businesses work today, workers are sat at their computer, working independently of one another, so it should be possible for them to do these Online Jobs at their house. With a secure VPN company-confidential information should not be compromised and the knowledge by workers, that they can simply Work From Home when the journey to work would be hazardous would be beneficial to all.
If any workers did manage to get to work through the awful weather, no doubt they would be spending the rest of the day with one eye at the window, making sure that it was not getting worse and they would be unable to return home again. They may make it to the office, only to let staff know that they have tried, then immediately leave and return home, as the weather deteriorates, in some instances collecting some work which they can do over the next few days from their home if the weather does not get any better.
We undertake a lot of Internet Business these days, even if we are working in an office, and this can be done just as well from home as from an office. Getting businesses to set up a list of Online Jobs which workers can comfortably and confidently carry out from their home would be a major step forward. Perhaps they could set up a SMS service, whereby when the weather is bad employees are advised early not to try to venture to the office, but work on the Online Jobs which have been made available to them. This could lead to fewer traffic accidents, less stressed workers and a more productive workforce.
