What are your employment rights during extreme weather?

Amber weather warnings are in place for parts of Scotland, forecasting "heavy snow" and travel disruption, while yellow warnings for snow and ice cover much of the rest of the country.

The Met Office has warned that cold conditions would bring a range of wintry hazards for the next few days as millions of Brits go back to work following the Christmas break.

“As we begin the first full working week of the year, we face a range of winter weather hazards with snow showers and ice,” a spokesman offered.

But while sports fixtures have been cancelled, what are your employment rights if you are struggling to get to work.

What are my employment rights when it snows?

Your company does not have to pay you if it is open and you cannot make it to work because of poor weather conditions, which means you may need to take leave.

However, in many cases your employer will be willing to let you work from home, if possible, or come to an arrangement to alter your hours.

It is worth checking ahead to see what the policy is and speaking to your manager ahead of potential snow fall.

Your pay shouldn’t be docked if your work place cannot open because of the weather and you are unable to work from home due to the nature of the job.

Can I take time off if my child’s school is closed?

You have the right to take unpaid leave if your child has an emergency and extreme weather might constitute this. This type of time off should be agreed with your employer.