The BEIS has published guidance for employees and employers who have to self-isolate after returning to the UK unless they’re travelling from a country with a quarantine exemption. This follows the recent additions to the list of those countries where a 14-day quarantine period is required upon return to the UK. The guidance advises that if employees are out of the country when a quarantine is announced, they should talk to their employer as soon as possible to discuss options. When quarantine is mandatory, where possible people should work from home during their self-isolation period. Alternatively, employees can agree with their employer to take leave to cover the period of their self-isolation, providing they have enough leave remaining. Employers can also tell employees to take leave as long as they give them enough notice. The guidance warns that dismissal should be a last resort, employers should consider the aforementioned alternative arrangements first and that employers who dismiss an employee just because they have had to self-isolate following travel abroad may be liable for unfair dismissal.
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