Quarantine and Travel for Employees

As travel restrictions start to lift, most of us are keen to plan a holiday overseas to enjoy some much-needed sun! However, it’s important to remember that different countries have different travel restrictions and quarantine periods that need to be considered before you book a holiday. Let’s look at a few things you need to consider before you travel abroad.

The changing traffic light system

As most of you will know, the UK government has implemented a traffic light system to classify what people travelling overseas from the UK need to do upon their return. On the UK government https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england  you’ll find a list of countries that are separated into red, amber or green, depending on their COVID-19 risk level.

The risk level of individual territories and countries is reviewed every 3 weeks, so make sure you check the country you’re planning to visit every time the list is reviewed.

Quarantine periods

What you need to do after you return to the UK will depend on which list the country you visited is on.

If you have visited a territory or country on the red list within 10 days of your arrival to the UK, you will only be allowed to re-enter the country if you have UK residence rights. When you arrive, you must quarantine for 10 days and pass 2 COVID-19 tests.

If you have returned from a country on the amber list, you will only be required to quarantine if you have not been fully vaccinated, and if you return from a country on the green list, you do not need to quarantine at all, but you will need to pass a COVID-19 test.

Taking time off

If you’re considering travelling abroad, it’s important to note that if you need to quarantine for 10 days upon your return to the UK, you won’t be able to return to the office during this period. Any time taken off work during your quarantine period will be taken as holiday time, so make sure you take this into consideration while you’re choosing a country to visit.

If you have any questions about our company policy regarding holiday time, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us so that you can travel safely and be prepared upon your arrival.