Lifestyle

Go to Greg: The business of snow days

Half of my staff didn’t show up to work on Friday due to the snow. I can understand it for those who had to travel from outside of the city, but several employees live in Manhattan! How should I handle this?

I think you should take your kid sledding in Central Park. Don’t get me wrong — I’m an executive, I know that business must go on — but if you’ve got a strongly performing staff, and this is your only gripe, then you need to chill out. Maybe they have kids, and with schools being closed, there could be child-care issues, and that doesn’t mean people can’t accomplish work from home. But if their absence is symptomatic of larger issues you are having with their attendance or performance, then you have every right to add this to their files. But deal with the underlying issue, not the symptom. And demonstrate to the rest of your well-performing team that they have a boss who can appreciate priorities as well as the balance in life. Now go make a snowman.

Every time it snows, I get asked the same question: “Is the company closing, or are we closing early?” That really rankles me. I’m from Minnesota, and if business shut down every time it snows, no one would be working full time. How do you convey to staff to start thinking differently?

Pound them into submission with snowballs! I’m with you on this one. I can’t tell you how many calls HR gets as soon as there is the threat of inclement weather: “OMG, what are we going to do? Are we closing early? Will the company be open? What are we telling employees?” Come on, it’s snow — not the apocalypse. New Yorkers pride themselves on toughness but wither when inclement weather is in the forecast. People stampede to the supermarket for supplies like it’s the end of days. Tell your staff, unless and until the company announces otherwise, when bad weather strikes, assume they should stay in touch with their bosses. If you can make it in to work in a reasonable amount of time without risking life or limb, and without having to leave your kids unattended, then plan to go to work. Otherwise, stay home, and do what work you can from home.