Question re working and snowstorms (Boston, Newburyport: 2015, home, closing)

[doghead]

Hi, thinking about a potential move to Boston down the road. Do offices in Boston close during major snowstorms or are people expected to get to work that day? Are there delayed openings? I guess I'm thinking about snow amounts of about 6 inches and higher. Thanks.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by doghead

Hi, thinking about a potential move to Boston down the road. Do offices in Boston close during major snowstorms or are people expected to get to work that day? Are there delayed openings? I guess I'm thinking about snow amounts of about 6 inches and higher. Thanks.

More and more offices and businesses are closing during snowstorms, even if a storm is forecast the day before and never materializes.. It's all part of the same hysterical cycle. News stations treat every storm like armageddon, people rush to the store to clean out the bread and milk and everyone thinks its a holiday. State and city officials urge everyone to stay off the roads so the plows can get through. I have always expected employees who work from home because of a storm to be working remotely that day. Some of them are surprised and assume should be a day off (this tells me a lot about them). Even the city restaurants and bars that used to be thriving during storms are chastised for putting their employees at risk by being open. It's all a bit over the top but a reflection of the times in which we live.

If you work in a critical role (e.g. law enforcement, medical) you will be given access to first response transportation to get you to work.

[doghead]

Thank you! Really appreciate your answer. I'm glad to hear that because some of these storms are really monstrous and if one is not living in the center of Boston, it must be really difficult to get to work. But I understand what you are saying about the media--they do create hysteria now.

[robr2]

I think it really depends on the employer and the timing of the storm. If 6-12 inches were to fall overnight and stop before the morning commute, I think most employers would expect you to get out of bed an hour early and get to work. If a 24" forecast for during the day, they'll tell you to stay home.

With the advent of the ability to work remotely, it is expected that you get some work done if you decide to stay home.

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.

[doghead]

So robr2, you are saying that for 6-12 inch storms, offices are not closing? Does the T have trouble working in the snow? What about the commuter train? I assume I'd be working in Boston, but would live farther out. Thanks.

[chicagoliz]

If there is a really bad snowstorm and the government officially declares a "snow emergency" where people are not supposed to be on the roads (with certain exceptions), employers can't really expect that people will even be able to come to work. With so much done remotely these days, it's a lot more do-able to have employees work from home in a situation like that.

So, sometimes, even if a company does not officially close, if people are directed by the government to stay off the roads, on a practical level, it's kind of the same thing.

[rethcir]

The T works pretty well in the snow unless it's a situation where we get slammed for three days straight.

It's also not 1978 anymore - a lot of work can get done from home. Smart employers know this and empower their staff with laptops, cell phones, chat systems, etc. I tend to work from home whenever there's a major snow coming thru. Nurses, manufacturers and so forth obviously have a different situation, in which case I would suggest an all wheel drive vehicle.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by doghead

So robr2, you are saying that for 6-12 inch storms, offices are not closing? Does the T have trouble working in the snow? What about the commuter train? I assume I'd be working in Boston, but would live farther out. Thanks.

This really depends on your employer. The vast majority nowadays have some sanity and keep people home during major snowstorms.

However if you are unfortunate enough to work for an employer who expects you to come in anyway, most will let you use a vacation day instead.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by rethcir

The T works pretty well in the snow unless it's a situation where we get slammed for three days straight.

WHAT? It only works well in the snow post-2015 because anyone with common sense doesn't even bother trying to ride the T during a major snowstorm.

[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.