Why I Avoid Snow Days

I wrote this yesterday as a Nor'easter swept the east coast. I began the day driving my wife to work in the worst part of the storm. As a nurse she makes every effort to get in to work no matter what the weather conditions. I had no classes scheduled, so I didn't need to issue class cancellation notices, something I try to avoid whenever I possibly can.

The primary audience in my programs are supervisors and other managers at all levels who work in local companies. I learned long ago that when I cancelled a class most of the participants would simply go to work instead. Later we would have to coordinate a make-up class to complete the program requirements. As you can imagine, finding a make-up date and time that suits everyone is nearly impossible. So my standing policy is to avoid cancelling class unless absolutely necessary. Today, for example, would have been a cancellation day.

But what about people who simply are not comfortable driving in certain conditions or have child care or other issues due to a storm? My position is always very clear: If you are not comfortable coming to a class for any reason, skip the class. We'll worry about certificating requirements later.

My policy for educational programs mirror my policy for companies where I've been an executive. We cancel work only when conditions are bad enough to warrant a closing, since hourly employees generally do not get paid when the company closes. However, if someone is not comfortable with driving to work and can't find any other transportation options, then I can generally excuse the absence as long as the employee notifies us.


About me: Before becoming a full time educator, my career experiences included being vice president of a consulting firm, vice president - finance of a publishing company, vice president - sales support services for a manufacturing company and vice president - operations for a distribution company. As a full time educator working principally in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts I am pleased to share my experiences and business philosophies with managers at all levels.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.