Snow Days, they are a a part of winter.
Love them, hate them, snow days are here. Unless you live close enough to the equator where you never experience them, in that case, good for you, enjoy the sun, you can skip this. For the rest of us snow days can put a damper on our work day, it can effect the rest of the week.
If you work in an office there is always that decision, is it a snow day? Calling a snow day is difficult. No one wants to lose a day of work, a day of revenue, a day of productivity. On the other hand, no one wants to be responsible for accidents and putting people on dangerous roads. If you’re a contract employee snow days can stink because you may only get paid for days you are at work and snow days aren’t covered. Some companies have work from home policies on snow days, and that can help alleviate some stresses.
Often forgotten is that everyone has a family to think about. If they have kids, a partner, parents, or other family members that depend on them, there is a lot to do.
- Prepare for school closures.
- Prepare for early dismissal.
- Aid partner in getting to work if they have to go in.
- Make sure parents are taken care of.
You don’t just get to snuggle up and drink cocoa by the fire, or go play in the snow like you did when you were a kid.
When you work from home, the joke is you don’t get snow days, because you’re already at work. In truth it can become a much harder day for you. If you have kids you may have them at home with you while you work. You need to make sure your driveway is clear. You need to keep your driveway clear. You need to be ready for people coming home. You need to work as if it were any other day too.
Here are some things to remember when working from home and a snow day hits
- Just because you have a snow day, doesn’t mean your clients do.
- Just because it’s not snowing where you are, doesn’t mean your clients aren’t in the middle of a snow day. Respect their stresses.
- You can get your work done and take care of your family; you need balance and know when to let something slide.
- Be ready for the power to go out. (likely it will be temporary)
- Keep your cell phone (and other devices) charged.
- Keep some food that can be made without a stove ready, keep it outside of the refrigerator.
- Keep the house warm, make sure you have warm cloths to wear.
- Have fresh water prepared.
- Set a timer to make sure you get out to shovel at short increments so it doesn’t break your back.
- Make sure you have proper clothing for shoveling, keep warm, keep on your feet..
OK, once you have your work done, your family taken care of, your driveway clear, now it’s time to snuggle up with hot cocoa. You can catch up and help your clients catch up as the week goes on.
