Icelandic volcano eruption – what happens to the pay of employees who were stranded?
As the dust (quite literally) settles from the volcanic eruption in Iceland and its ensuing flight chaos, stranded workers have now mostly returned home, leaving many employers with the question as to what happens to their pay. For workers potentially not covered by travel insurance and facing uncertainty over airline compensation, this is likely to be a very sensitive issue. However, the starting point is that an employee who does not turn up for work, even due to circumstances beyond their control, is not entitled to be paid unless their contract says otherwise. There is a strong argument that employees who were stranded whilst on the employer’s business should continue to be paid because in all likelihood they would have been ready, willing and available for work. For employees who were unable to get to work as a result of personal holidays, some employers will want to exercise their discretion and continue to pay them. If workers made their way home using alternative transport, suc
