Community Chat

[Cumbercookie13]

There's a story trending online about the manager of a Jacksonville, Florida Pizza Hut facing backlash for requiring employees to return and work after evacuation due to Hurrican Irma or face discipline: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pizza-hut-store-threatened-to-discipline-workers-fleeing-irma/

This is nothing new, it happens all the time, with businesses staying open despite evacuation orders, or if a state of emergency is called and if you are not considered an "essential employee," you're required to stay off the roads or face fines. I used to work at a video store and we never closed during ice storms or snow storms, and we were required to come in, no excuses.Even though I lived five minutes away, it was treacherous traveling on icy roads, and I didn't feel it was worth it to work a four hour shift in case someone wanted to rent a movie or a video game. And of course we hardly got any customers, as everyone came in before the storm to get what they wanted.

I think if you aren't considered an essential employee, you shouldn't face reprimand or termination if the weather is so devastating you can't get there. And with police, first responders, nurses, doctors, paramedics, having to work and ensure safety, it puts more on them when more people are out when they shouldn't have to be, and they end up stranded, hurt, or worse. Lives are more important than fast food and groceries. What's your opinion? 

[Shelbelle]

This was the top story today on The Talk, like they said, who is running to eat at a pizza place in a hurricane anyway? This man put Pizza Hut in a terrible position, and he did not follow the code of the corporation.

[nana59]

You can't fix stupid.........

[LTT1]

Maybe some new enforced laws will be put into place.

[SandyAndy]

I don't understand this either. I'm not where we felt the effects of either hurricane, but I face this with winter snowstorms. I work in retail and store policy is to not close - ever. The store has to lose money everytime this happens as electric and heat are on and a few employees manage to come in, and the store MIGHT sell $1000. Not worth it. Although I don't live too far away I refuse to come in when the roads are treacherous as I doubt the company will pay to fix my car should I run off the road.

[Moonchilde]

This post got me thinking about our weather yesterday, and agricultural workers.

It's harvest time for many crops in my neck of the woods. For the past 36 hrs or so we've had rain, thunder, and quite a few lightning strikes that have started small fires.

Every day that I go out, I pass people working in the open fields with little to no shelter of any type. At some fields, people bring their own cars. At some fields they come by company bus. Some, maybe they are dropped off and will be picked up later.

I know that they work in heavy rain, and I know they work in extreme heat (although there are minimum basics employers legally must provide re heat), but the lightning strikes are not a common occurence.

I would hate to think that if someone decided to sit out a thunder & lightning storm in their car or a bus (hopefully insulated!) they could be fired or penalized. In that situation they're sitting ducks.

I asked on a FB group in my area but no definitive answer from anyone so far.

[grandma r]

I worked for a medical practice for many years.  Practice managers changed and so did the weather policy.  The office never closed!!!!  We were expected to be there, on time.  If someone wasn't able to get in, they were made to feel as if they let everyone else down.  After a manager change if someone couldn't get to work, they were required to take a vacation day.  We also had no sick days;  if you were sick you had to use vacation time.

Sadly, too many poor business decisions resulted in the practice being taken over by a hospital.

[Kachina624]

I wonder what an employer's liability would be if an employee sustained a weather-related injury while on his way to work when people had been advised to stay home? 

[catchersmom]

Sorry about that. I edited (deleted my post), shouldn't have hijacked your thread with my recent personal experiences.

My apologies!

[maestra]

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@Cumbercookie13 wrote:

There's a story trending online about the manager of a Jacksonville, Florida Pizza Hut facing backlash for requiring employees to return and work after evacuation due to Hurrican Irma or face discipline: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pizza-hut-store-threatened-to-discipline-workers-fleeing-irma/

This is nothing new, it happens all the time, with businesses staying open despite evacuation orders, or if a state of emergency is called and if you are not considered an "essential employee," you're required to stay off the roads or face fines. I used to work at a video store and we never closed during ice storms or snow storms, and we were required to come in, no excuses.Even though I lived five minutes away, it was treacherous traveling on icy roads, and I didn't feel it was worth it to work a four hour shift in case someone wanted to rent a movie or a video game. And of course we hardly got any customers, as everyone came in before the storm to get what they wanted.

I think if you aren't considered an essential employee, you shouldn't face reprimand or termination if the weather is so devastating you can't get there. And with police, first responders, nurses, doctors, paramedics, having to work and ensure safety, it puts more on them when more people are out when they shouldn't have to be, and they end up stranded, hurt, or worse. Lives are more important than fast food and groceries. What's your opinion? 

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I taught for a principal who was like that even when other schools were closed due to tornadoes.

We had a real live tornado drill. This woman was a health hazard.