The situation regarding overtime should be set out in the employment contract but, generally, an employee being requested to work overtime and refusing may be guilty of misconduct by virtue of refusing a reasonable request of the employer.
Career cushioning
“Career cushioning” — another term borrowed from the world of dating — means cushioning for whatever comes next in the economy and job market, taking actions to keep your options open.
Career cushioning is the end of year term for 2022, in light of high profile lay-offs in the tech world and continuing worry of the cost-of-living crisis and threat of a possible recession. The worker’s reaction is to create a safety net or a back-up if it all goes wrong.
Is the employer obliged to pay the employee?
In general, there is no statutory entitlement for an employee to be paid if they cannot attend work because of extreme weather. Any more beneficial arrangement is a matter for agreement between the employer and the employee.
Employers are encouraged to take a long-term view of the working relationship, recognising that demonstrating concern for the welfare of employees and treating employees fairly translates into a better working environment to the benefit of both the staff and the employer.
Many businesses may have to look at finding for the cost of this somewhere else such as scrapping or cutting back on employee rewards, bonuses or benefits. Indeed, this is already happening in some larger organisations as a way of protection heading into the predicted slowdown or recession.
Wellbeing is going to be critical. People have been impacted in different ways. Some may have lost a love one, some may have struggled financially, a lot will have gotten used to doing things differently, many will have a different outlooks and sets of values out the other side of this. Parents who were working from home may see detachment issues with their young children, when they return to the office. Some will have thrived through homeworking, some will have hated it and although many employees will be happy to see restrictions lifted, there will still caution and a worry with regard to health & safety in the workplace as the restrictions may have eased but the threat of Covid-19 still remains in the background.
