Legally, you're under no obligation to pay an employee who fails to attend work, as it can be argued that the employee is in breach of contract. However, employees have statutory protection against unauthorised deductions being made from their wages, so if you have no contractual right to deduct pay and if your employee does not consent, deducting pay could be potentially subject to a legal challenge. If an employee has to take time off during bad weather to look after their children (for example, due to a school closure) they are entitled to unpaid dependant's leave. This protects them from suffering any discrimination because of an "unexpected disruption to childcare". Key issues are outlined in this article.
Forum of private Business, December 2010
Read this article in full
here.