Kate Brooks

Partner, Solicitor & Head of Employment/HR Services

DATE PUBLISHED: 11 Mar 2020 LAST UPDATED: 12 May 2022

Coronavirus (COVID-19): can I stop employees going abroad?

We are getting asked by a lot of employers whether they can stop employees from going abroad.

The short answer is, no. It is up to the employee to take responsibility and subject to guidance and stops on travel to decide whether to cancel trips.

It may be that if an employee chooses to go on a high risk trip that when they return, they put themselves in self isolation. If they cannot agree to work from home, they will not legally be entitled to pay during this time.

We suggest that employers clearly communicate that they require employees to notify if they have travelled to a high risk country, or been in contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19.

We suggest that if an employee is in doubt about self isolation they refer to 111 online https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19.

If you have any questions on HR related matters, please contact kate.brooks@ellisjones.co.uk or 01202 057754.

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