Travel, parking and getting to work

If you are having difficulty in getting to your place of work due to travel disruption or severe weather, contact your manager as soon as possible for advice. Your employer's policy should outline what to do.

If you are unable to get to work, you may be expected to take annual leave (if the correct notice is given or you agree) or make up time on a later date. There may also be other options to consider, such as coming in later if the weather is expected to improve or swapping shifts with those who are able to travel to work.

There is no legal requirement for your employer to pay you if you are unable to get to work and your workplace is open. However, your employer's policy may allow for it. Your employer should be clear if there will be any deduction to your pay. Please contact us if you are in a pay dispute with your employer.

We cannot offer support with a legal claim against a travel agent or airline because you have been unable to return to the UK from a trip abroad. However, you may wish to take advantage of the RCN's free legal advice scheme.

In an emergency involving a dependent, all employees have the right to take unpaid time off. However, check your contract and local policies as you might be entitled to paid time off. Please see our guidance on time off work for more information on this.

If there is no policy, rather than taking unpaid leave you could try to agree:

• a period of annual leave
• time flexing, or
• ask to make up the time on your return to work.

If providing workplace parking, employers have a duty of care to provide a safe environment. The Health and Safety at Work Act requires employers to have a safe system of work. The Health and Safety Executive provide information regarding managing risk and the safety aspects of parking and workplace transport.

The situation regarding car parking varies across the UK and who you work for.

The British Parking Association Code of Practice outlines the range of issues around parking and how car park providers should operate and gives a helpful background to the legal issues. If you are employed by the NHS, each Trust or Board should have a travel/green policy that seeks to reduce reliance on cars and limit vehicle emissions. As part of this, employers should consider providing interhospital transport where appropriate.  

There should be recognition of those who have an essential requirement to have a car to undertake their employer's business - for example, community nurses, midwives, health visitors, and other staff.

Health and safety risk assessments should be carried out, and the risks of moving and handling essential work equipment in and out of cars should be minimised.  

Where staff are given permits, these should have a relationship to pay; that is, the costs should be scaled and reflect earnings levels rather than a single charge for all. The majority of parking in NHS Scotland and Wales is free. In England and Northern Ireland, most staff have to pay, but check your local policy for more information.

Where staff are required to pay for parking, charges should: 

• be proportionate and fairly applied
• be discussed in partnership with NHS staff, unions and patient groups
• cover the costs incurred in providing the car parking facility but should not be profit-making
• reflect the quality of the facility; staff should not be paying high charges for car parks that are not secure
• be based on ‘pay on exit’ so that staff and patients are not made anxious about the impact of penalty fines if they exceed fixed time limits.

Government guidance on parking is available for NHS Trusts and NHS foundation trusts, including contracted-out car parking.

Driving in extremely low temperatures and heavy snow

Your employer has a duty of care to you as an employee and should not place you at risk in any way. 

Your employer should have an adverse weather policy that outlines the action they will take to prepare for adverse weather conditions, which includes informing staff of weather alerts. There should be business continuity plans in place in readiness for severe weather, including how emergency and essential care will be delivered. 

Managers should ensure that risk assessments for community/peripatetic work are reviewed and specific controls measures are communicated to you.

There are steps detailed below that you can take to ensure that you are prepared for extreme low temperatures and heavy snow.

Planning your journey

• Consider your route(s) and any areas that are likely to be exposed to the elements and more prone to hard frosts, ice and snow drifts.
• Ensure you keep up to date with weather reports and travel information before setting off and throughout your journey.
• For community/peripatetic workers, it is good practice to ensure that you have someone in your team/at your base who is aware of your diary plans, route and expected time of arrival for appointments. You should check in when you arrive and when you leave appointments. You can also read our prioritising personal safety guidance.
• If the weather deteriorates significantly, you should consider whether it is safe for you to attempt to travel; contact your manager for advice or to discuss concerns and follow your local adverse weather policy and reporting arrangements. 

Allow plenty of time

During very cold conditions you should factor in extra time for things including:

• de-icing your car windows and clearing your mirrors, lights and roof of any ice/snow before starting your journey
• allow extra time for your journey.

Prepare your vehicle for winter weather and carry out vehicle checks

Driving can be a high risk activity during extreme weather. Your employer should have a policy on winter driving and emergency arrangements. Both you and your employer should follow any advice given by the police. 

Make sure you check that everything is in working order including lights and indicators, check your tyres (consider the use of winter tyres especially if you live somewhere that is prone to very low temperatures and snow), check windscreen wipers are working and that you have windscreen wash. 

Use of volunteer 4x4s

In recent years, members of the public have been asked to volunteer their 4x4 vehicles to drive nursing and medical staff to work. Whilst this is admirable, strong consideration needs to be given to the safety of staff and your employer should have a policy/process in place to manage this.

You can:

• ask who is driving and how this person is known to staff
• ask whether the driver has been DBS checked
• ask if the driver's information has been checked e.g. current and valid driving licence, licence endorsements, motor insurance (for business use) and that the vehicle has a current MOT
• ask that you are collected/returned only with another member of staff
• refuse transport from a stranger
• refuse if you feel unsafe.

If you are happy to accept the transport, it is a good idea to:

• keep your mobile phone switched on and with you whilst in the vehicle
• telephone someone from the vehicle to let them know you are leaving, tell them who is driving you and what time you are going to be home.

Ability to raise the alarm

If you are working alone (including travelling alone in the community or you don't have a colleague in immediate earshot), your employer should carry out a risk assessment. This should ensure you have an effective means of raising the alarm should you get into difficulties. Please see the RCN’s personal safety guidance.

If you are travelling to and from work in poor weather, it is a good idea to let someone know what time you are starting your journey and when you are expected to arrive at your destination. Tell them when you have arrived to let them know you are safe.

Mileage allowance FAQs - NHS Employers

Mileage rates - RCN

Gov.uk has information on travel disruption and work

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust has information on personal safety

Find out how one of our Reps negotiated with her employer to secure special equipment to help members working in bad weather