As of: January 19, 2024, 7:02 p.m
By: Natascha Heidenreich
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Press
Split
Slippery roads make the commute more dangerous.
What employees should know if they are late due to weather or have an accident.
Munich – What fun wasn’t going to school in the past?
All you had to do, snuggled up in your winter jacket, was wait at the train station for the train to school and hope that it would be a decent delay.
After twenty minutes, the classmates on the platform started to get a little restless because they all knew the rule: If the train wasn't there after thirty minutes, then all students were allowed to go home.
Black ice and snow can of course also have an impact on your commute.
But the professional world is different than the school world: If the train doesn't arrive after thirty minutes, that's not a free ticket for not coming to the office.
It doesn't matter whether it's due to a current rail strike, which could last even longer, as the GDL boss suggested, or simply because of the weather.
An employee should not be late for work.
In the worst case, this can have far-reaching consequences.
The weather also increases the risk of accidents.
If you are involved in an accident on the way to work, you are at least covered.
And that's not the only place where insurance coverage applies.
Be careful, slippery: This wintry road invites you to drive carefully.
But what if employees are late because of this?
© IMAGO/Wassilis Aswestopoulos
Accident on the way to work: who pays what?
If you slip into another car on the way to work, this is a so-called commuting accident.
The
German Statutory Accident Insurance
(DGUV) points out that every commuting accident must be reported to the employer immediately.
In addition, a so-called transit doctor must then be consulted.
These are specialized doctors who coordinate the further course of treatment.
Anyone who has an accident on the way to work is insured through the professional associations and accident insurance companies.
The
German Federation of Trade Unions
(DGB) points this out on its website.
But it's not just drivers who are insured.
Employees who walk or cycle to work are also insured in the event of an accident on black ice through the professional associations and accident insurance companies.
In order for statutory accident insurance to cover the costs of damage to health, i.e. treatment costs, injury benefits in the event of loss of earnings or an injury pension, the requirements must be met.
It is important to know: The employer and the insurance company do not compensate for material damage to the car.
Warning for being late: Experts advise getting started early enough if there is black ice
Of course, it is best if there is no accident in the first place.
That's why you should drive carefully on black ice.
However, the weather is not a reason to be late.
If you can't simply stay in your home office, you have to get to work early enough to arrive on time despite the weather conditions.
Because on slippery roads you should drive as carefully as possible and as slowly as necessary.
Anyone who doesn't do this will face consequences.
Depending on the employment relationship, these can be quite mild or very harsh.
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“If there are flexible working hours, the delay can be made up,” explains Cologne-based labor law specialist Nathalie Oberthür in an interview with
dpa
.
The expert warns that otherwise there may be a loss of compensation for the lost time.
This means that the time not worked is deducted from your wages if it is not possible to work in.
In addition to the lack of compensation, the delay can have even more far-reaching consequences.
Even a warning is generally permissible in the event of a delay, says Oberthür.
This is possible “because the employee is responsible for starting work on time,” explains the Cologne specialist lawyer.
To ensure that this doesn't happen, Oberthür advises everyone who has to drive to work despite black ice to leave on time.
This means drivers can drive slowly and carefully, but still arrive on time.
If you can, you should work from home when there is black ice
Those who are allowed to could stay in their home office.
However, there is no right to work from home, says Oberthür.
Not even in snow or icy, slippery roads.
“Working from home is only permitted with the agreement of the employer,” says the labor law specialist.
Working from home is also not a solution for everyone.
Finally, there are various professional fields that cannot work from home - for example nurses and police officers.
However, those who could do their work from their own computer without any problems should ask their employer.
(
dpa/nhf
)