Some Otago business managers have come under fire from unions for threatening to withhold pay from employees who fail to turn up at work in severe weather.
But Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie says businesses usually include conditions in employment contracts and are entitled to dock pay if staff do not turn up for work.
Council of Trade Unions secretary Peter Conway said bad weather was tough on everybody, especially when it interfered with normal operations, but he hoped workers would be paid even if they could not get to work.
‘‘When the police, transport and Civil Defence agencies are advising people not to travel, it is simply not feasible for workers to make it to work. And to then have pay docked is unfair.
‘‘In addition, many schools are closed, or have closed early, meaning caregivers may have to leave work to pick children up earlier than usual.''
Mr Conway said most employers were fair-minded in this situation.
However, there have been some reports of employers taking a hard line.
Workers at KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks have all been told they will not get paid for any hours lost during the latest snowstorm.
Christchurch Unite Union organiser Matt Jones criticised the franchise operator, Restaurant Brands New Zealand Ltd.
He believed the company was legally obliged to pay staff their rostered hours.
‘‘We understand that the only option left to the staff is to use what annual leave they may have, which is truly disgusting,'' Mr Jones said.
A Restaurant Brands spokesman said yesterday the company had not been contacted by Mr Jones and was disappointed the Unite Union representative had chosen to take this matter to the media rather than consult RBL first.
‘‘Staff who turn up to work are paid for the shift. If a staff member turns up to a store but the manager decides to not open, then they will be paid for their normal shift,'' the spokesman said.
‘‘If the store closes early due to weather safety conditions, the remaining hours of the shift shall be honoured.
‘‘If a staff member decides not turn up to work as a result of the weather, they will not be paid, but can choose to take leave if they wish.
‘‘Staff who are genuinely prevented from turning up to work due to the weather conditions will be paid, but confirmation of this is on a case-by-case basis, as there need to be genuine reasons.''
Mr Christie said it was a difficult situation that depended on workplace contracts or policies.
‘‘A lot of Otago businesses updated their policies after the last snowfall and then alerted staff to their expectations. That's always good workplace practice.
‘‘[Restaurant Brands New Zealand Ltd] are entitled to take the stand they have, but a lot of organisations take a more moderate stance.''
Mr Christie believed business managers should do ‘‘what's fair and reasonable''.
‘‘It's hard to reward those employees who do turn up, without penalising those who can't.
‘‘If you can get to work in a safe manner, then it's expected you should. Employers generally have goodwill around these things.''
