Are you obliged to pay employees who cannot get into work? Well, the responsibility is on the employee/worker/freelancer to get to work, regardless of the circumstances (unless you have contractually promised to provide transport for employees to and from work).
If a Worker fails to get to work there is no obligation on you to pay them (or pay them for missed time if they arrive late) – even if is not their fault (unless their employment contract has specific provision for such absences to be paid; which is unusual). You are only obliged to pay your Workers when they are ready, willing and available to work!
If you do not pay them in these circumstances is not an unlawful deduction of wages.
However, it is wise for Employers to consider:
- Encouraging employees to find other forms of safe transport
- Allowing employees to work from home
- Allowing employees to make up the time at a later date.
The TUC and CIPD are encouraging Employers to be lenient with Employees with the current unsafe travel conditions in parts of the country
If none of these options are viable then Employers should advise the employees whether their time off work in these circumstances will be paid or unpaid or whether they can request to take the time off as paid annual leave. (However, you cannot insist that employees take annual leave without notice).