Workplace Preparedness for Severe Weather
The Labour Department urged employers to proactively arrange work plans for employees during and after tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm alerts, “extreme conditions,” and other severe weather events to ensure employee safety, maintain smooth operations, and foster positive labour-management relations.
Following the initial issuance of an “extreme conditions” advisory, the Labour Department reviewed the existing “Code of Practice in Times of Typhoons and Rainstorms” and issued an updated “Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions'” (CoP), offering more appropriate guidance for employers and employees.
The updated CoP emphasizes key principles for managing employee work arrangements during adverse weather and “extreme conditions.” “Employers should establish reasonable and practical work plans and contingency measures for staff, prioritizing employee safety and the practicality of traveling to and from workplaces. Employers should also consider individual employee circumstances, such as their place of residence and nearby road and traffic conditions, adopting a compassionate and flexible approach to address their specific challenges and needs,” stated an LD spokesperson.
To prevent misunderstandings, disputes, or confusion, employers should involve employees in creating these arrangements and make necessary updates or revisions based on each event’s experience, the needs of both parties, and actual circumstances. The work arrangements should address:
– Procedures for reporting to work;
– Provisions for early release from work;
– Guidelines for resuming work (e.g., timeframes for returning to duty after warnings or “extreme conditions” end, when safe travel is possible);
– Provisions for remote work, such as working from home, if applicable (e.g., duties during and after tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm alerts, or “extreme conditions”);
– Policies on working hours, wages, and allowances (e.g., calculations for wages and allowances for attendance or absence);
– Special provisions for employees required to report to work during adverse weather or “extreme conditions.”
Employers should carefully and promptly assess whether staff need to report to work during a tropical cyclone warning, rainstorm warning, or “extreme conditions.” They should consider employee safety, the type of business, operational needs, and urgency of services, while keeping the number of staff at workplaces as low as possible. This assessment should factor in staffing levels, employee roles, and individual circumstances, according to the spokesperson.
When a Pre-No. 8 Special Announcement is issued during work hours, employers should release employees from workplaces or work duties in stages or arrange remote work as soon as possible. To ensure employee safety and allow them to reach home before public transport stops, priority should be given to employees with mobility issues (e.g., pregnant employees or those with disabilities), those relying on transport affected by bad weather (e.g., ferries), or those working or living in remote areas (e.g., outlying islands). Other employees should be released in stages based on their travel distance or time needed to get home.
If an Amber, Red, or Black Rainstorm Warning is issued during work hours, employees working indoors should continue their tasks unless it’s unsafe. Supervisors of employees working outdoors or in exposed areas should stop outdoor work as soon as possible, arrange temporary shelter for them, and allow them to resume work only when the weather improves. If a Black Rainstorm Warning remains in effect at the end of work hours, employees should stay in a safe place until the heavy rain stops. Employers should provide a suitable area in the workplace as a temporary shelter.
If the Government announces “extreme conditions,” employees, except those required to report to work, should stay where they are or in a safe place instead of traveling to work. Employees already at work can continue working safely. If the workplace becomes unsafe, employers should release staff early in a safe way or provide a safe area as a temporary shelter. If “extreme conditions” persist at the end of work hours, employers can release employees safely or offer a suitable shelter area for those still at the workplace.
If employees must report to work during adverse weather or “extreme conditions,” employers should discuss and agree on work arrangements and contingency plans in advance. If public transport is suspended or limited during a Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 (T8) or higher, Black Rainstorm Warning, or “extreme conditions,” employers should provide safe transport for employees to and from work or give them an extra travel allowance.
Employers must ensure a safe workplace under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance. If employees work during tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm warnings, or “extreme conditions,” employers should minimize workplace risks as much as possible. Additionally, under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, employers must pay compensation for injuries or deaths if employees are harmed while traveling directly to or from work within four hours before or after work hours on days when a Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher, a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning, or “extreme conditions” is in effect.
