Severe Weather and Small Businesses - What to do before it hits
Severe weather can derail your day. Learn a simple, repeatable plan small businesses can use to keep teams safe and operations steady before storms hit.
Severe weather has a habit of turning a normal workday into chaos
One minute you're thinking about customers and cashflow. Next minute it's weather warnings, flooded roads, cancelled trains, schools shutting, and the team chat going off like a fire alarm.
This is not the moment for managers to freestyle decisions. You want a simple plan you can repeat, so people stay safe and your business stays steady.
Hazel would like to add that "severe weather" is also known as "excellent excuse for extra blankets and a treat bonus". Naturally.
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The simple approach: Plan, Communicate, Protect
Plan
Pick one source of truth and one trigger.
- Use Met Office warnings as your "weather plan mode" trigger.
- Decide in advance: who makes the call, what options you offer (remote work, delayed start, closure), and what your pay approach is.
- one channel (Teams, WhatsApp, email)
- one update time for early shifts (plus a second update time if needed)
- what's happening
- what staff should do
- when the next update is
- Check Met Office warnings and WeatherReady advice
- Decide your mode: normal, reduced, remote-first, closed
- Confirm cover for critical tasks
- Send one clear staff update early
- Tell customers early if you expect delays or reduced hours
- Decide early (uncertainty causes more disruption than closure)
- Keep messages consistent (one channel, one voice)
- Log key decisions (what you decided and why)
- Support safe choices (if conditions worsen, safety wins)
- 10-minute debrief: what worked, what didn't, what to change
- Update the plan (tiny tweaks make next time smoother)
- Save evidence if there was damage (photos, dates, what was impacted) for insurance
- trigger
- decision maker
- comms channel and update times
- working options
- pay options
- safety rules (especially travel)
- "Reduced hours due to severe weather"
- "Deliveries may be delayed, next update at X"
ACAS has guidance on disruption getting to work, including extreme weather planning. Met Office WeatherReady is a handy prep hub.
Communicate
Choose:
Keep the message short:
Protect
Safety first. If travel is unsafe, do not pressure it.
If people drive for work, treat it as a real risk. HSE guidance is clear that employers should plan and manage work-related driving, including in poor weather.
For heat or cold, make practical adjustments. ACAS notes there's no legal max or min workplace temperature, but gives guidance on reasonable temperatures and sensible steps.
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Forecast day checklist
When warnings are forecast:
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On-the-day checklist
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After-the-weather tidy up
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Quick Q&A: severe weather without the drama
Do I have to pay employees who cannot get to work because of bad weather?
Not automatically. GOV.UK says employees are not automatically entitled to pay if they cannot get to work because of bad weather. That's why you need a consistent set of options: remote work, shift swap, annual leave by agreement, authorised unpaid leave as a last resort.
What if the business closes? Do I have to pay staff?
It depends on your contract and what you decide as a business. The real issue is consistency. Decide your stance in advance and apply it fairly. ACAS guidance on disruption is a good benchmark.
Can I tell people to work from home?
If the role allows it, yes. Make expectations clear. If remote work is not possible, use the options you've set out.
Can I force staff to take annual leave because they cannot travel?
Be careful. Annual leave has notice rules, and forcing it in the middle of a storm is where arguments start. In practice, many SMEs agree annual leave as an option, rather than imposing it. ACAS guidance on disruption supports planning and discussion rather than knee-jerk decisions.
What if schools close and parents cannot come in?
Treat it as a disruption issue and agree what's workable: remote work, adjusted hours, shift swaps, or time off where needed. ACAS explicitly covers disruption scenarios like extreme weather.
What should staff do if they cannot get in?
They should contact you as early as possible, explain the issue, and confirm whether they can work remotely. Your job is to respond consistently, not case-by-case based on who shouts loudest.
We have staff who drive for work. What should we do?
Have a clear "no unsafe travel" stance, and plan journeys properly. HSE guidance covers planning and managing journeys, including poor weather.
What about outdoor workers in high winds, snow, or extreme heat?
Do a quick risk check and adjust the work. If conditions make the work unsafe, stop and reassess. ACAS guidance on extreme temperatures is useful for practical steps.
Do I need an "adverse weather policy"?
You don't need a 20-page masterpiece. A one-page plan is enough:
ACAS encourages planning for disruption rather than winging it.
What's the quickest way to avoid pay arguments?
Write your approach down and apply it consistently. Most drama comes from surprise decisions and inconsistent managers.
What should I tell customers?
Be calm and specific:
Customers are usually fine if you communicate clearly.
How far ahead should we communicate?
As early as possible, especially for early shifts. Pick a consistent update time so people are not guessing at 6am.
What's the one thing I should do today if I have nothing in place?
Pick:
1. your comms channel
2. your trigger (Met Office warnings)
3. your pay and working options
Write it on one page and share it. That alone prevents most chaos.
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Final thought
Severe weather is not just a weather problem. It's a planning and communication problem.
A simple plan, one comms channel, and a safety-first stance protects your people and your business.
About Kate Underwood
HR consultant and founder of Kate Underwood HR. Providing HR Support for Small Businesses for over 10 years; in Hampshire, Dorset and across the UK.