Does my employer have to pay me if I can’t get to work because of a train strike?

Railroad strikes have forced hundreds of people to find alternative ways to get to work.

Many will wonder what the rules are in relation to employers and whether you can be paid even though you cannot attend a strike day. That’s all you need to know.

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Do I still get paid if I can’t come to work because of a rail strike?

The simple answer is no.

It is the employee’s responsibility to find a way to get to work during a disruption period.

An employer doesn’t have to pay you if you don’t show up for work.

If you are unable to come to work due to a rail strike, it is advisable to speak to your employer about working from home if this is possible in your industry.

Before a strike day, it is best to look for alternative travel options, e.g. B. by car, car sharing, buses or the subway.

A worker may choose to take the day as annual leave in order to be paid, but an employer cannot force its workers to take a day missed due to strikes as leave.

It is always best to talk to your boss about your difficulties before a strike day.

Can I be fired if I can’t come to work because of a rail strike?

If your chances of getting to work on your regular train are slim, you might be wondering if not boarding could put your job at risk.

Slater and Gordon’s employment lawyer, Paula Chan, told the Manchester Evening News in 2017: “If someone is made redundant because of a strike and cannot come to work, it is very unfair.”

Ms. Chan said that good employers know that a one-off travel disruption should not lead to the start of disciplinary action.

Ms. Chan said good employers would know that a one-off travel disruption should not trigger the process for formal disciplinary action.

She added: “If you are genuinely unable to go to work and have shown you have tried to take steps and have worked with them to do so, it would be very unfair to be disciplined or fired. “

She also recommended calling your boss instead of emailing to make arrangements and documenting the exchange via email.

How do I apply for rail strike compensation?

If you have a season ticket, an advance ticket or have forgotten about strikes and bought a ticket that day, you can claim at least part of your money back.

The process varies by operator, but usually you need to contact the company and provide a picture of your ticket, passport or a receipt and details of the train you were supposed to be on.

This is part of the so-called “Delay Repay”.

The system pays the customer if the train is delayed by a certain time, which varies depending on the company, the type of ticket and the length of the delay.

Information must be provided for each individual delay.

The rules seem to have been changed to be more generous to those with season tickets.

Former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps assured season ticket compensation on June 16, 2022.

He said the government will “ensure season ticket holders can claim full compensation on strike days” and plan to introduce “a range of options” including the use of contract workers to respond to future action.

It appears season ticket holders can claim back 100% of the usual compensation if they decide not to travel on one of the strike days, even if their train is not cancelled.

This does not apply to other days when services are still affected by the industrial dispute.