One of my staff has just come back from France and now has to quarantine for 14 days, do I have to pay him?

Answered by Sheila Scott

Thank you for your question. This is a fast-moving situation with the list of countries that we can travel to known as a ‘travel corridor’ without having to quarantine on return, changing very quickly. You don’t say what role your staff member undertakes and whether it is possible for them to work from home which would be the first consideration. Other options include paid leave, unpaid leave or using annual leave. It’s important your member of staff follows the quarantine rules as firstly they risk spreading Cornavirus if they become symptomatic within the 14 days and they also may face a hefty fine if they don’t follow the rules which can be found here. I have added a link to the ACAS site which you may find helpful too. As part of your contingency planning, it is probably worth making sure you have sufficient staff to cover for unplanned absences as we head into winter and checking you have a robust recruitment pipeline will help with this. I would also suggest you look at your employment contracts and consider amending them to cover any future situations that may arise.