Last month, we had weather whiplash in North Dakota. Monday was 55°. A low front moved in that night, and by 7 a.m., we decided to delay opening until 10 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., the National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning. Staff had been trying to drive in from their homes when we decided to close for the day. 

Different offices, different policies 
Other weather events happened around the country that same week, prompting some conversations amongst my colleagues about how to handle employee pay when the office is closed due to weather. There were a range of opinions: Some colleagues said they required staff to use their paid time off (PTO). Others considered it time off without pay. And then other offices, like mine, paid their employees for the time — treating it like holiday time.

A dentist friend does not pay her employees for office closures, thinking that staff want the office to be closed, so they can collect money. She said she felt she treated her people well, but in some respects, she thought it was taking advantage of the office to pay staff for the time it was closed. That is a valid point. However, I still feel strongly about paying people for a closing that is not their responsibility for a few reasons.

Three reasons to pay
First, we often talk about culture. As I wrote in a previous column, a great culture is a safe place. Employees want to know they are free to express ideas or share opinions and will be taken care of if something goes wrong. If a weather event suddenly closes the office, employees don’t have to worry about canceling the family vacation due to a lack of PTO or an inability to pay for a household expense.

Second, people don’t like feeling “nickel and dimed.”  We lose sight of the big picture when we take away small things. In this case, the big picture is keeping those great employees. At the time of this writing, unemployment is at 3.8%, one of the lowest rates in the last decade. Retaining employees has never been more critical. Almost every employer I speak with talks about the importance of finding and keeping good employees. Taking care of our people, including paying them for a "snow day," goes a long way toward retention. 

And lastly, do you remember the giddy feeling you got when school was called off for the day? I would dance around the house with joy at having an unexpected day off. Our employees are like that as well. Sometimes, we all want a good snowstorm to give us that joy from an unexpected day at home. A day off is a little morale boost for everyone. Our last snowstorm day resulted in many homemade treats in the conference room the next day.

Not much time
I spent some time researching the number of hours we have been closed due to weather over the years. It was anywhere from 2 hours to 10 hours in any given year. I question whether that small amount of time is worth the ill will created when we don’t care for our employees. 

So, here’s to the love of a good snowstorm and the unexpected joy a good one can bring. OM

DORI M. CARLSON, OD, MAL, FAAO was the first woman to serve as president of the American Optometric Association. Most recently, she was a 2019 recipient of Women of Optometry’s Theia Award for Leadership. In addition to her optometric leadership, Dr. Carlson is a 2020 graduate from the University of Jamestown, with a Master of Arts in Leadership, as well as a John Maxwell-certified speaker and trainer.