Pictured above: Rachel Mills, employment lawyer at Robinsons Solicitors in St James Court, Friar Gate, Derby

Companies which have yet to prepare an adverse weather policy risk losing money and productivity all through the winter, a leading employment lawyer has warned.

The recent snowfall left hundreds of work desks in Derbyshire empty because workers were stuck at home due to the weather conditions, creating a significant headache for their employers.

Not only do they face lost productivity, but there is also potential for tension in the workplace with those who are able to attend having to pick up their absent workmates' workload.

And, although they are under no obligation to pay absent workers unless there is provision in the Contract of Employment, unless they have a policy in place, employers will have to make a difficult decision as to what to do to ensure staff feel fairly dealt with.

There are a number of options open to employers such as asking the employees to take it as unpaid leave, annual leave or, in some cases asking employees to make up the lost time by working extended hours.

Rachel Mills, an employment lawyer at Robinsons Solicitors in St James Court, Friar Gate, Derby, says that deciding on what approach to take and drawing up a clear policy will ensure that problems are kept at bay, recommending that any company which has not already written such a policy should do so before any more snow falls.

Rachel said: "Employers recognise that due to the weather, employees may be prevented from attending work, despite their best efforts to do so.

"This is often caused by natural events such as heavy snow, flooding and even the volcanic ash situation which occurred earlier this year. All of these are, of course, completely outside anyone's control.

"It's vital that everybody knows exactly where they stand and a clear policy will achieve that. By having an adverse weather policy, employers can ensure that all employees are treated in a fair and consistent manner."

A YouGov survey taken after heavy snow at the start of the year found that three quarters of the country's employees were affected in some way by the adverse weather conditions.

Nearly half - 48 per cent - felt under pressure to get into work, which 11 per cent worked from home and another 12 per cent were unable to work at all. Meanwhile, a separate report from onepoll.com last year found that 12 per cent of people admitted using the snow as an excuse not to go in to work.

The Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce estimated that up to £17.6m were lost each day by businesses across the region in January's cold snap, with the fioguires likely to be the same for last week.