Question re working and snowstorms (Boston: schools, live, cars)

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by doghead

Thanks everyone for speedy replies. So do what most employees do? I mean do most people get up at 5, shovel and go in since snow is a common occurrence? Only asking because I used to live in NY and work in CT. I had a 45 mins. drive to work and we were getting lots of snow. Sometimes I stayed home, and sometimes came in. The office was lenient about it. But I am worried that Boston may be so used to snow that offices expect employees to come in, unless of course, it's a foot or so. Just wondering what is expected in a 6 -12 inch storm. You've all been really helpful. Do the commuter trains work well in general? Is it a stretch to live in say Newburyport and depend on a commuter train to go to Boston every day? In NY, everyone uses Metro North to commute to NYC from Westchester & Putnam Counties with no problems. I know this should be another thread.

6" - most will have work and are expected in the office

12" - many employers will close their office for the day

18-24"+- most businesses will close completely except for critical operations.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by Dm84

6" - most will have work and are expected in the office

12" - many employers will close their office for the day

18-24"+- most businesses will close completely except for critical operations.

This is a good reference point. Again, there's the timing of the storm. If we get foot and it's over by 9 PM, the expectation is that you'll be in the office the next day.

[doghead]

Thanks Dm84. Makes sense. Helpful to know for planning and my comfort level of dealing with shoveling.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by doghead

Thanks Dm84. Makes sense. Helpful to know for planning and my comfort level of dealing with shoveling.

Like robr2 said, timing does matter.

The worst thing that can happen IMO is a storm that starts after the morning rush or early afternoon. Many employers won't preemptively close or many businesses make a snap decision to close at the same time and getting home can be very difficult.

[doghead]

Thanks all.

[Bruins_Fan]

Originally Posted by robr2

At a former employer, snow was not an excuse. I remember being told the day before the April 1, 1997 blizzard "you will be in tomorrow right?" I got up at 5 AM and cleared 30" of snow off my car and driveway and trudged into work where it was me and the boss (who hated spending time with his family, hence snow is not an excuse.) I sat there for about 8 hours cleaning files because our customers were closed.

Got about 35" for the April Fool's Day storm where I was and was expected at work, but we had power lines down going right across our dead end street. So no work for me that day except shoveling 35" snow...that was fun...no snowblower back then!

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by doghead

Only asking because I used to live in NY and work in CT. I had a 45 mins. drive to work and we were getting lots of snow. Sometimes I stayed home, and sometimes came in. The office was lenient about it. But I am worried that Boston may be so used to snow that offices expect employees to come in, unless of course, it's a foot or so.

I really wouldn't worry about it. The climate, both in terms of actual weather and companies' attitude toward it, is not drastically different between CT and the Boston area. Most places are overly cautious about cancelling work and school now, even when it's really not necessary. Even most of the snow emergencies declared by the state are somewhat gratuitous.

[Cantabridgienne]

It really depends on how much of your job can be done remotely.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by Dm84

Like robr2 said, timing does matter.

The worst thing that can happen IMO is a storm that starts after the morning rush or early afternoon. Many employers won't preemptively close or many businesses make a snap decision to close at the same time and getting home can be very difficult.

I remember staying at work whenever employers started letting people go at noon or two. Waiting until 5 usually made for an easier drive home.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by doghead

Thanks everyone for speedy replies. So do what most employees do? I mean do most people get up at 5, shovel and go in since snow is a common occurrence? Only asking because I used to live in NY and work in CT. I had a 45 mins. drive to work and we were getting lots of snow. Sometimes I stayed home, and sometimes came in. The office was lenient about it. But I am worried that Boston may be so used to snow that offices expect employees to come in, unless of course, it's a foot or so.

The thing is, we're not Syracuse or Buffalo. We don't really get that much more snow than most of the other Northeastern cities, or than Chicago, for that matter. A great many of the storms we get also have affected NYC.

I know there can be some exceptional years, like a few years back when most of the storms that bypassed the mid-Atlantic hit Boston, but that's not a typical winter. Right now, they're talking about a big storm on Tuesday, but they're talking about that same storm in Philadelphia and NYC.