Took a PTO Day, but Office Was Closed Due to Weather

[isme]

My question involves employment and labor law for the state of: Washington


As you may have heard on the news recently, Washington was hit with a big snow storm recently. Everyone anticipated this storm, and so on the first day of our work week, I took home work that I could do at home if the weather was bad enough that we couldn't get to work.

My company inclement weather policy clearly states that in case of inclement weather, we have three options:

1. Take PTO hours
2. Work at home, if we are able and have cleared it with our supervisor (which I am, and did)
3. Make up the lost hours at a later time, not eligible for overtime

The next two days the weather was indeed too bad to get to work, so I did work at home. On the third day, a company supervisor emailed us that they were declaring the office closed for that day. No mention was made in this email of compensation for this day, and so I assumed that our very clearly stated inclement weather policy still applied, and continued to work from home. I emailed my own direct supervisor and informed of them of this. Based on my communication with my direct supervisor, as well as a few of my coworkers on their plans of either working at home or taking PTO, they were under the same assumption as myself.

On the fourth day, the weather was still somewhat bad. The office was not closed, but I still could not get to work. I had completed all the work I had brought home with me, and so with nothing left to do and wanting to do the right thing, I took a PTO day.

When I returned to the office the following week and looked at my time card, and on it was written that I would be compensated for the office being closed on that fourth day of bad weather.

I brought an inquiry to the HR supervisor about this, explaining that it had not been made clear to me in any form of communication that I would be compensated for the office closing, and if I had known that, I would not have used one of my PTO days for the following day--rather, I would have saved the rest of the work I had brought home and completed it on that day I actually took PTO, and taken our office closing compensation for the other day.

The HR supervisor basically told me I was out of luck--that I was not going to be paid twice over for the day the office was closed. Feeling that they weren't understanding me, I tried to explain again--and was met with the same explanation of, "there's nothing you can do".

Is this okay? What are my rights if it was not made clear to me that I would be compensated without working from home, taking PTO, or making up hours the way it was clearly communicated in our office policy? Is there anything I can do to rectify this and not have to give up one of my PTO days?

Thanks in advance!

[Disagreeable]

I would discuss it with your HR department.

[cbg]

Not that I can see. It's a shame that they didn't spell out that you would be paid for that day anyway, but they are doing nothing illegal and they are not violating any protected rights.

[isme]

Are they required to let me know if I will be paid due to an office closure? Not only is it not spelled out in the policy, but they didn't say anything when they communicated on that day.

I am one of only a few people who have been working here less than 6-7 years--I think it is something that was "understood" by the older employees. Unfortunately, my supervisor is not one of those longer-employed--they have worked here less than I have, and didn't realize it either. I just feel tricked because they didn't explain, and they're not willing to rectify the situation when I clearly wasn't notified.

[cbg]

No, there is no law requiring that they spell out that you will be paid for an office closing. I don't think anyone was out to "trick" you, but they're not required to pay you twice, nor revoke your PTO use.

It was a miscommunication, nothing more.

[Beth3]

Are they required to let me know if I will be paid due to an office closure? No. It's entirely possible that your employer handles this on a "case by case" basis (whether to pay everyone during a weather closure) so there isn't anything formal to announce in advance. Chances are the decision was made by executive management on the day it was communicated. I've worked places where snow closures were handled in that manner.

It's unfortunate that they won't "undo" your PTO request but they're not required to.