permission required to travel abrod

Spikelad

At work we have recently been told that in future we will require permission from site security if we wish to visit certain countries.A memo has been issued which details which countries we can visit without asking for permission to travel to and any countries not on the list requires us to seek permission before travelling.

We dont work in anything that could remotely be called "top secret" and i just wonder if this is legal to ask us to comply with this instruction.

My British passport clearly states "All those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hinderance".

I feel that site security have compromised the above instruction and would appreciate any comments on this.

jacklink

in this day and age this is understandable is it not ?

what country were you wanting to visit ? and what countrys are on the list what they want to know about

you do realise the danger that we are all in because of minority selfish ignorant groups dont you

omelette451

What job do you do?

There's a lot missing from the context of your post. If there is a reason for it then perhaps it might be justified, but it not I think it's awful. What right do your employers have to dictate where you travel in your own time? I've heard of some people working in secure hygienic environments (e.g. food manufacture) having to tell their employers if they're going anywhere they might unwittingly bring back disease from, but unless it's something like that I'd consider it a breach of personal rights and freedoms.

jacklink

sorry but i think its totally understandable an employer wanting to know if an employee wants to visit a country that is a risk to our own country, and why would they want to ?

Spikelad

My feeling on the matter guys is that as a law abiding citizen i should be free to travel wherever i choose.I just dont think it is right that when i am not at work i can be told what to do.

Andy_L

Depends,
if you're in the military then yes they can because "they own your soul"
if you're a security cleared civil servant/contractor than no, for the reasons you give.
However the "clearance" you need, ime, is them giving you some common sense advice like not telling everyone in the bar "I know loads of secret stuff me", what sort of intelligence threats are out there & whether the foreign office thinks it's a safe destination for Brits generally. I have never heard of a civilian being refused permission.
A thing to bear in mind is that if you do habitually spends lots of time in dodgy countries it can compromise your ability to get security clearance, thus costing you your job

SomeBozo

This question cannot be answered without :

1) Knowing what the company does
2) Knowing what the OP does for the company.
3) Knowing what countries are on the list.

Then the "reasonable and fairness" test can be applied.

Bozo

debtfreein4years

if you are in the military or a civil servant depending on where you work then yes they can require you to ask for permission before you go, although i know many people do not get permission but go anyway. it is mainly just for information if you are going to a restricted country so that if anything does kick off then it can be rubbish joe bloggs is in that area and he knows x, y and z with regards to a, b and c and it helps to plan how best to negotiate if needed to get you out.

its that simple it is for national security and can sometimes even extend to your children depending on what job you do. how much of a hassel is it going to cause you really not much as they only refuse permission if it is a war zone or something equally serious.

Spikelad

Thanks for the input guys i do have security clearance but i certainly dont know anything secret (LOL).

I think it is just a bit over the top for the type of work i do but after reading the replies i understand why they are doing it.What would have been better is someone speaking to us about it rather than sening out a memo.

Rikki

A lot of service engineers have two passports for this reason. Some countries will not allow entry if you have visited and have a passport stamp of a country they are not too friendly with,.

ceridwen

My sympathies O.P. on this - personally I would just take the view that the job is what you do for a living and what you do in your leisure time is your business. Your employer is only paying for your workhours - not for you to be "owned body and soul 24/7".

You know in your own mind which countries you deem "safe" for yourself personally to visit - and anyone who doesnt know which are "safe" countries ought to have done their own personal "research".....so just go...and dont mention it at work.

To me personally - I take the view that I wont bother with visiting the Arabic countries (because I am a woman) and I wont bother visiting any countries that are currently in "war zone" status. Apart from that - its my business and only my business. Considering the countries I want to visit anyway are the "more civilised" ones....then it wouldnt be a problem anyway....but there is a principle at stake here.