STORMS and bad weather have been gripping the UK, as hundreds of schools close their doors.
While staying at home may sound great for kids, it can be a nightmare for working parents without childcare.
The latest storm to hit parts of the country is has been named Storm Ciaran.
Much of Britain has been urged to stay safe as the band of stormy weather hit with the wild conditions getting worse.
More than 300 schools have closed classrooms due to the 104mph gales and heavy rain.
If your child has been urged to stay home today, you might be wondering if you can get time off work to look after them.
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Below we reveal everything you need to know.
Can you take time off work if your child's school is closed due to storms?
During this type of weather, schools will sometimes close their doors if it means there's not enough staff in, the site is unsafe or kids can't travel safely.
But school closures bring with it the additional worry of childcare, with parents concerned whether they can take time off.
The short answer is that, yes, you can.
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Parents are entitled to take reasonable time off work to deal with an unexpected problem or emergency.
This is sometimes known as "dependant leave", according to Citizens Advice.
Your employer can't refuse dependant leave if you have no other option.
You also won't get into any trouble or lose your job.
Many employers are flexible with staff who have to care for their children due to unexpected circumstances, such as adverse weather conditions.
If your child is under the age of 18, there are further rights you may have too.
This is known as "parental leave" – but you must have worked for your employer for at least a year before you can take this.
You can take up to 18 weeks off for parental leave before your child turns 18, but your employer can limit this to four weeks off per year.
If you're unsure what you're entitled to or how it works at your school then it's best to speak to your boss.
Will you get paid for any time off?
In both dependant and parental leave cases you won't be paid for your time off.
That's unless your contract of employment says any different.
You may be able to negotiate taking holiday with your employer if you'd still like to get paid and are entitled to paid holiday.
But this will be at your boss' discretion.
Crucially, you don’t have to make up the time you missed later on.
Can you get time off work due to storms if you don't have a child?
Unfortunately, there is no automatic legal right to be paid if you miss work due to a storm.
Employers are allowed to regard your absence as unauthorised, even if it''s due to weather circumstances beyond your control.
Some bosses may ask you to work from home if you're genuinely unable to get in.
If you can't make it into work then your boss may ask you to take unpaid leave or use up some of your holiday allowance.
If your workplace is closed because of disruption and you don't usually work from home, employers can’t usually deduct your pay.
Check your employment contract and know your rights before speaking to your employer.
A reasonable boss will be flexible, particularly if you've given them plenty of notice and made every effort to get there.
For more advice visit the Citizens Advice website.
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Meanwhile, we reveal all the compensation you might be able to claim as UK hit by storms.
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