Snow Day Ontario: Am I expected to attend work if there is an extreme snow day?

It would be great if the law had a snow day provision for adults. Unfortunately, that's not the case in Ontario.

Suppose snow prevents you from getting to work on time or prevents you from getting to work altogether. In that case, your employer is certainly free to discipline you in whatever way they see fit - but courts and tribunals in Ontario are very forgiving of instances of absenteeism or lateness caused through no fault of your own.

If you're a parent, especially of a young child or a child with special needs, you may not be able to make it to work if school is cancelled that day due to a snow event.

Your employer may be required to accommodate your family status during these situations, as a failure to accommodate could lead to a violation of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

The best approach is to have a clear snow day policy in place for employees. Employers and employees need to work together to figure out the arrangement that makes the most sense for dealing with snow events.