Employees taking holidays abroad
Restrictions on holidaying abroad were lifted back in May, making it legal to travel following the introduction of the Government’s traffic light system. This system places countries into red, amber or green lists with different rules applying to each category. The categories are reviewed every 3 weeks, though countries can move lists at short notice.
Government are still advising against travel to countries on the red and amber list. They have also introduced testing requirements for those wanting to enter the UK from abroad. You can refer to the gov.uk website on red, amber and green list rules for entering England here.
It’s important that both you and your staff are aware of the rules when travelling abroad and returning home as quarantining requirements may mean individuals will have to isolate on their return. This may not impact your business if staff members can work remotely. But for those who cannot work from home and having to prolong their leave can impact the running of your business.
It’s vital that employers plan ahead and anticipate that there may be an increase in holiday requests over the coming months following the easing of restrictions. Banning foreign holidays would not be feasible, fair or policeable but it’s worth making employees aware that holiday requests may not be approved.
Employers should take into consideration employees’ wellbeing as a holiday abroad could improve their mental health. This is an important factor to consider when approving annual leave.
There are many factors that will come into play in an already confusing and testing time for many. Now is the time to review your holiday policy to cover all bases. A clearly defined holiday policy should be in place for both employer and employee to refer to.
Cumbria Chamber members can review their holiday policy details using Chamber Protect. This gives you unlimited access to a document library with almost 800 downloadable templates that your business can use – all included in membership. For further support, members can also access help from a HR adviser with any holiday leave queries they may have.
If you’re yet to become a member of Cumbria Chamber and would like to take advantage of this offering, as well as many other exclusive member benefits, please apply here.
*This article is for information purposes only. Please refer to current government guidelines.
© Cumbria Chamber of Commerce