‘Business as usual’ as snow-bound Suffolk staff take work home

Businesses across Suffolk and north Essex were coping as best they could as the ‘Beast from the East’ snow flurries brought chaos to the region.

With some employees finding it difficult to get in because of road conditions, or having to stay at home to look after children because of school closures, employers were taking a flexible approach.

Some made prior arrangements in anticipation of the weather event.

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, which has a staff of around 40, said it had discussed the situation yesterday and many employees were working from home as a result.

Chamber spokesman Paul Simon said: “We believe in agile working. Those folk who have remote access - and most do and are fully kitted out – are working from home or away from the office. We had a discussion yesterday and they are taking work home.”

He added: “It’s about being a pragmatic and caring employer as well as serving members. It’s more or less ‘business as usual’

Andy Janes, spokesperson at malt firm Muntons, said the firm’s staff car park was full as almost all staff had made it into work.

“The snow has not affected production yet and we are moving goods in and out albeit slower than usual,” he said.

However, a truck drive tipping barley at the plant said the haulage fleet was being recalled back to base and were unlikely to go out again over the next day or so.

“This will not really affect us as we hold a good supply of barley in store, it just means that we take in more loads once the weather has broken,” he said.

Malt extract manufacturing manager Alastair Wesson added: “Most of our production workforce have managed to get in and we are continuing to run our plant at capacity. It has been mainly staff with children where there has been a problem, with the closure of schools forcing staff to stay at home to look after their children.”