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BUSINESS GROUPS HAVE said that it shouldn’t be essential for workplaces to close during a time of a red alert weather warning, despite the warning this week urging people to stay indoors.
Before the storm hit the country, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that people should heed the warnings given by the authorities while Minister Eoghan Murphy said that the “onus is on the employer to put the safety of staff at their forefront”.
The Taoiseach also said, however, that employers should make their own choice on the matter and that a “blanket instruction” on all businesses to close would be inappropriate.
A proposed Sinn Féin bill would make it compulsory for employers to close its place of business during a red alert, and not penalise their employees for doing so, but it has not received government support.
What is a red alert?
A Met Éireann red alert is one which advises people to take action.
Here is its definition:
The issue of red level severe weather warnings should be a comparatively rare event and implies that recipients take action to protect themselves and/or their properties; this could be by moving their families out of the danger zone temporarily; by staying indoors; or by other specific actions aimed at mitigating the effects of the weather conditions.
Prior to this week’s nationwide red alert, the previous similar alert issued was during Storm Ophelia in October 2017, where three people died.
Authorities were abundantly clear in their advice ahead of the worst of the storm this week.
Varadkar warned in a public address that in a blizzard scenario it could be “total wipeout” outdoors, and that between 4pm on Thursday and 12 noon on Friday the country is on “red alert”.
National Emergency Coordination Group chair Sean Hogan was even more unequivocal. He said on Wednesday: “Do not be out there from 4pm tomorrow. This is like Ophelia, it is a different type of safety concern but it is a safety concern.
If people need to travel they need to consider how they will be home safely by 4pm tomorrow.
He said employers will need to consider whether it will be safe to ask employees to come to work over the coming days.
“We’re hoping the damage won’t be like what it was with Ophelia but we are in uncertain territory here,” said Hogan.
He said that if people are out and about in the weather on Thursday and Friday they might get disorientated and lost. He noted there were a number of deaths of people outdoors in 2010.
Sinn Féin wants this kind of advice in a red alert warning formalised in legislation. Under the bill, an employer would be required to, in the event of the place of work being subject to a red weather alert, “close such place and make reasonable measures to inform all employees to stay away from it for the duration of that warning”.
Another provision would be to “ensure that an employee who stays away from such place of work for the duration of a Status Red severe weather warning is not penalised because of such action”.
Sinn Féin Imelda Munster TD said: “This bill will provide for the safety of employees during certain severe weather warnings. It will enhance public safety and ensure the safety of rescue service personnel during such a weather warning.
There was a significant level of confusion in the aftermath of Storm Ophelia regarding what actions businesses in the private sector and self-employed persons should take during an extreme weather warning… As legislators we must now take measures to guide employers, protect workers and strengthen the powers of emergency services in the case of future warnings.
Disagreement
Business groups, however, think that such measures would go too far.
While groups such as Ibec and Isme urged employers to heed the government’s warnings, and treat the safety of their staff with the utmost seriousness, some feel a blanket ban on a business opening in such a weather event goes too far.
Graeme McQueen, head of public affairs at Dublin Chamber, says that businesses by and large heeded the advice and took sensible measures in given the weather conditions.
He told TheJournal.ie on Thursday: “Ultimately it’s up to the individual business in terms of what they decide to do. However, the warnings that have been issued by the various authorities are clear and should be adhered to.
The view of Dublin Chamber remains that people come first in this situation. Given the seriousness of the weather warnings, we would encourage employers to look after their staff – particularly given the lack of public transport available.
For the most part, common sense has prevailed, with a lot of companies allowing staff to work from home. This will be the case again on Friday.
ISME CEO Neil McDonnell told TheJournal.ie that any proposals to enforce the closure of businesses in such events was unworkable.
He said: “We don’t believe it would be appropriate to order businesses to shut when there is a red alert warning.
Who would be responsible for deciding which businesses to shut, and which to leave open. Many ‘non-essential’ workplaces are really important to our daily lives.
Bakers, convenience stores, forecourts, HSE outworkers, man-in-van services, utilities services; all of these become ‘essential’ when we need them. Invoking some law to direct the shut-down of everything would simply be a cop-out.
McDonnell added that workers are already protected under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act.
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Typical SF, every opportunity to shut down a business and stop people working is jumped on. Lots and of local shops opened providing an essential service and were staffed by local people who walked to work. There was nice feeling of community and togetherness in the shops and many staff were very happy to be able to provide the service
@Nick Allen: Except in Jobstown.
@john Appleseed: what did she say? PBP sense of entitlement is unbelievable nothing is ever their fault and “personal responsibility” are bad words
@Fergus Sheahan: check out her Facebook. Basically they were forced to loot as nobody loves them…
@john Appleseed:
The obvious solution is to increase social welfare payments, provide more free services and just increase tax on the workers to pay for it.
@john Appleseed: Awww your heart would bleed
@john Appleseed: just read it…she’s a delusional socialist living in a dream world
@Fergus Sheahan: she’s a disgrace and a government employee. Should be suspended without pay effective immediately.
@john Appleseed: From reading her Facebook comments , it’s her complete lack of spelling and grammar that scares me. Especially as she is chairperson of teanga beo.
@Pj Windgap: I cant see anything on her facebook page about the looting?
@john Appleseed: hear John Connors? Backtracking furiously now, apparently he meant it in regard to the looting and not the JCB incident. Trying to use it as a ‘little man against the corporate machine’ type stupidity. Stupid stuff.
@Nick Allen: Agreed but employers should not risk employee safety. Employees should be facilitated, ie overnight stays etc. Safety is No 1. As seen from the 6.00 news yesterday no recorded deaths were reported because of the bad weather. I dont think the government over reacted. They did a good job.
@man.over.board: she has deleted it
@john Appleseed: She’s a disgrace and her spelling is even worse.
@Fergus Sheahan: Just about sums up PBP, a world of freedom without responsibility and action without consequence.
@john Appleseed: I went on her facebook page and didn’t see the post you won about either it was taken down of you’re talking shite
@Jane: fortunately I took a screenshot and will wave it in the face of every PBP candidate who darkens my doorstep.
If you business owners want to allowed to do whatever you see fit, start proving that you can be trusted. When we no longer hear of minimum wage baristas being told they can’t leave to get the last bus home, we’ll trust you.
@Neal Ireland Hello.:
LOL
@Nick Allen:?
@Neal Ireland Hello.: PSSST Neal… there was no declaration, nor any law passed to force businesses to close. We all closed, because was all felt it was the best and safest option
@Neal Ireland Hello.:
He might be laughing at you lumping all business owners in together while not using the same criteria for workers. In other words you’re a a hypocrite looking for attention
My manager picked me up from home to go to work, and when I called him to bring me back home, turned off the phone. Didn’t get my calls, I was in a queue of more than two hours outside in the snow to get a taxi. I got all my finger frozen I felt I was going to loose them I swear. Few friends of mine happened the same. With the storm few months ago happened exactly the same. When I was coming back home a tree fell few min before and blocked the Main Street, I got stocked as well waiting. I thing all business must close because companies don’t care about people.
@Ramón Nomar: that’s a disgrace
@Ramón Nomar: After sending an e mail threatening disciplinary action if people didn’t make arrangements to ensure they got to work, the company I work for then sent another stating they would pay an extra 25% if we came in to work during the red alert. Considering that I earn €50 a day, I didn’t think it was worth risking driving for an extra €12.50. That’s what some employers think of their employees.
@Ramón Nomar: While I agree about the general attitude of companies who see people as only just a number. Do what I do when your fingers are frozen……stick them inside your pance.
When employers can ensure that their employees can get to work and home safely during weather red alerts, then they can insist. Employees are mere chattels.
@Dave Doyle: yes that’s the issue. You need to be able to provide safe transport home
@Dave Doyle: Common sence should prevail ! If someone had to drive a good distance they should be asked is it vital they be at work and any reasonable boss should understand if conditions are bad… otherwise there an awful boss !
@john Appleseed: When it’s unsafe to drive your car. Public transport is running at a limited service that could be withdrawn at any time and leave people stranded, what do you or employers expect people to do?
The thing here is that the vast vast majority of businesses did close voluntarily. The few that opened were mostly local shops run by families or in our area the local pub, also family run. Would these be forces to close under this bill?
@Dominic Rafferty: And what exactly is a “good distance”? A person could crash their car or get hit by a falling tree within five minutes of leaving their workplace.
@Dominic Rafferty: reasonable boss…… The problem is finding one of them
The problem is having to travel, working in the city centre buses will get you in for the early morning then once the weather is bad and the public transport is stopped you are fold OK its bad you can go!! Great now try make my way home
It’s only a couple of days people will still buy what they need a couple of days later. Business will not look after it’s employees and seriously as a customer do you think I am going out in that weather. As for bosses driving staff who made them expert drivers in snow and ice.
The social welfare office in my town closed all day on Thursday even though we hadn’t a flake of snow until well after 7 pm. There’s dedication.
@John Considine:
No doubt SF will want an exception to their proposed law to mandate social welfare staff must work.
@Nick Allen: I dont think so. Give Mary Lou a ring and ask the question. She will tell you.
@Nick Allen: No doubt Nick Allen likes to roll around meadows during lambing season. See how you can say any nonsense after the words no doubt.
A nothing bill which won’t get passed.
What blizzard was this? Didn’t notice any “blizzard” in Dublin. Yet the whole city closed and came to a standstill. Met Eireann should read the story of the boy who cried wolf. No shred of credibility in their forecasts anymore.
@Ciaran Fairley: seriously? It was unreal yesterday evening.
@Ciaran Fairley: I drove home from bray to Blanchardstown at 10:30pm on wed and it was blizzard conditions. Couldn’t see 2 feet in front. At times didn’t know if I was still in lane and was a nightmare trying to see where the m50 exits and subsequent turns where. So I can confirm there was blizzards
@Ciaran Fairley:
Not shred of credibility. LOL. What do u think all the white stuff on the ground is?
@Ciaran Fairley: good man Ciaran, you sound like a real hero
@Ciaran Fairley: Met Eireann got it by and large bang on. Just because it wasn’t blizzard like in your back garden does not mean it didn’t happen else where. Of course some places missed out in red warning areas due to the isle of man shadow and other variables that by and large could not be predicted. 7 and 8 foot of snow drifts on roads tell another tale however
@Robbie: It was more a flurry than a blizzard. Go to Canada and Russia, they have blizzards. They’d laugh at what that was.
@Ciaran Fairley: Guess what Ciaran, they get this type of weather on a regular basis so of course they’re used to it. We don’t so we’re not. When was the last time we had weather like this? Almost a decade ago, hardly justifies investing the amount of money they spend annually to maintain the fleets of plows and heavy machinery they use to keep themselves going.
Schools should definitely be. Telling schools it’s up to them to decide whether or not to close during a red weather alert as what happened on Wednesday was ridiculous,
@Joe Lennon: as if they’d ever opt for anything other than closed (with full pay)
@john Appleseed: We had to close, and I won’t get paid for it, because for the first three years at least after qualification you’re only contracted. Stick to what you know
@Noel Ryan: but it wasn’t your decision to close was it?
@john Appleseed: No, it was a decision of my employer just like every other sector. My employer will have to deal with the consequences; lost time etc. Funnily my employer was v slow to close, while I, even though I was personally losing out was really hoping we would close, so I’d get a break with my family.
I agree that the schools used the opportunity to close early. Wednesday was a half day and my daughter’s school closed. There was plenty of time and opportunity to get in and out of school on Wednesday. Unfortunate to be missing so much school unnecessarily, I do hope there is some sort of makeup plan for missed days.
@Seeking Truth: hilarious that your name is seeking truth when you are just spouting lies. Schools don’t close for no reason. I’m very glad your school took the initiative to close so that your child could get home safe, my child’s school didn’t and we had a very scary drive home.
@Seeking Truth: Yeah. Flip the kids safety. Accommodate the parents instead.
@Seeking Truth: snow days are already factored in to the annual holiday plan.
The warning g system needs to be fine tuned before anything happens. Where I am we where not under warning until Wednesday night but where under a fair bit if snow from Tuesday. I think the temptation to go National was correct this time, as they are drifts and roads impassable all over the country. It should be a decision made by the employer and employees should not be penalised if in a red area
The nature of business in the case of retailers is supply and demand if we demand it they supply it. If they close they quickly lose money and for some small grocery stores yesterday they most likely made more money than they will for weeks
Instead of forcing businesses to close, make it illegal to penalise staff who can’t make it to work.
Usual no plan.
@thesaltyurchin: Yeah no plan for hard to predict changeable and exceptional weather that comes around once a decade if at all
Anyone who has self employed people like tradesmen booked to work on their homes should also pay that person even though there was a red alert.
Tax relief would sort this for employers….
@Dan Cahill: Would you pay a brickie for 2 days labour even though no work had been done?? Would you pay a tiler to tile your bathroom though no tiles were laid?? Would you pay a mechanic to service your car even though it’s snowed under in your driveway?? Dream on.
@Pj Windgap: so are you saying employers don’t pay staff ? I’m merely balancing the argument … tax relief would help everyone fairly
@Dan Cahill: I’m working for an employer and I’m not being paid for the day and a half we closed, and to be honest I don’t care I’d rather lose that pay and be safe
@Dan Cahill: Tax relief does balance things out, you only pay tax on what you earn.
@Larry Kavanagh: emmmm… no… wages , prsi on those, rent and rates all still must be paid
Surely the point of warnings and forecasts is to allow people plan so there is as little danger and disruption as possible. That doesn’t mean everyone should stay home.
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