It started with a drizzle.
At 4:47 AM, the clouds over Accra were already murmuring. By 5:15, the skies opened fully, pouring down with no apology.
In Dansoman, Pius stirred in his bed as the familiar pelting of rain hit his window. In East Legon, Edna, wrapped in her duvet like banku in polythene, sighed in relief.
“Today deɛ, the way the rain is falling, forget.”
Pius: The Text Message
By 6:30 AM, Pius was sitting on the edge of his bed, phone in hand, staring at the grey outdoors.
Traffic would be brutal. Trotros? Likely grounded. Uber? Surge pricing plus the risk of arriving soaked and miserable. He wouldn’t make it in by 8 AM.
He sighed and typed:
“Good morning, boss. Due to the heavy rains and flooding in my area, I may be late getting to the office. I’ll monitor the situation and keep you updated. Let me know if I should work remotely in the meantime.”
Sent. Delivered. Tick tick.
He settled in with a cup of tea and opened his laptop, just in case.
Edna: The Silent Vanisher
Meanwhile, Edna turned off her alarm without looking and mumbled, “They will understand.”
She didn’t send a message. Didn’t call. Didn’t even bother to text her team lead. After all, it was raining — and “common sense” would dictate that the roads were a mess, right?
She spent the morning scrolling TikTok, forwarding WhatsApp videos of flooding in Adabraka, and catching up on her favourite Netflix series.
At the Office
By 10:15 AM, Pius showed up a little damp, but ready to work.
His manager nodded approvingly.
“Thanks for keeping me updated,” she said.
“No problem,” Pius smiled. “I figured it’s better than leaving you guessing.”
At 11:00 AM, Edna’s desk was still empty.
By noon, HR was calling.
By 12:30 PM, Edna was explaining herself on the phone:
“Oh, I didn’t think I needed to call. I assumed everyone would know I wasn’t coming because of the rain.”
Her tone was casual. Her boss’s wasn’t.
The HR Manager, clearly fed up, snapped:
“Gen Zs of our days! So because it’s raining, communication should also go on break? Edna, this is a professional space, not your group chat!”
Just imagine the voice tone of your own HR… hahaha.
Moral of the Story: Communication is a Professional Skill
In Ghana, rainy mornings are almost a season of their own. Flooded roads, delayed commutes, unreliable public transport, it’s all part of our reality. But how employees respond during such disruptions is what separates professionalism from passive assumptions.
Pius communicated early, offered an alternative (remote work), and respected the team’s need to plan around his delay.
Edna assumed. She stayed silent. And her silence created confusion, disrupted workflow, and reflected poorly on her commitment.
Here are 4 alternatives for a rainy day work culture
1. Proactive Communication: A simple text or email to your manager can make all the difference. It shows responsibility and reliability.
2. Remote Work Readiness: If your role allows, be ready to work from home temporarily — even if it’s just handling emails and urgent tasks.
3. Company Flexibility: On the other hand, employers should have flexible policies in place during heavy rains. It’s not weakness — it’s strategic empathy.
4. Contingency Planning: Encourage teams to have clear rainy-day attendance protocols — including staggered reporting, virtual meetings, or check-ins.
Rain may slow down the city, but it shouldn’t stall your professionalism. In an unpredictable world, communication is your most reliable umbrella.
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