Self-isolation for travelling essential worker

duk3nuk3m

As someone whose job falls in the "specialist technical worker" bracket for travel exemptions, my company have asked me to travel to another country to carry out some engineering maintenance at a customer's site. I have been informed by my boss that, upon my return to the UK, I will have to self-isolate at home for 10 days unless I'm going to work. Whilst I completely understand the current Covid-19 travel situation is less than ideal for my employer and the extra costs associated with testing and PPE, I feel as though this is extremely restrictive outside of my working hours (after work and at the weekend).

What are other people's thoughts on this situation? Would you be approaching your boss to negotiate a form of compensation (e.g. additional annual leave to cover the weekend) for having to self-isolate?

Savvy_Sue

Isn't there the possibility of a shorter isolation period if you pay for additional tests? I'd argue for the employer paying for that, at least. (It might depend on where you have to go: a colleague came back from France at the end of April and expects to be in the office tomorrow.)

elsien

Surely you’re either isolating or you’re not?
I’ve not seen any guidance that says “you can still go to work but you have to isolate when you’re at home.”
Perhaps your employer can point you at the specific guidance that’s telling them that’s what you need to do? 

JamoLew

duk3nuk3m said:

As someone whose job falls in the "specialist technical worker" bracket for travel exemptions, my company have asked me to travel to another country to carry out some engineering maintenance at a customer's site. I have been informed by my boss that, upon my return to the UK, I will have to self-isolate at home for 10 days unless I'm going to work. Whilst I completely understand the current Covid-19 travel situation is less than ideal for my employer and the extra costs associated with testing and PPE, I feel as though this is extremely restrictive outside of my working hours (after work and at the weekend).

What are other people's thoughts on this situation? Would you be approaching your boss to negotiate a form of compensation (e.g. additional annual leave to cover the weekend) for having to self-isolate?

As @elsien says - that's not how it works

Savvy_Sue

elsien said:

Surely you’re either isolating or you’re not?
I’ve not seen any guidance that says “you can still go to work but you have to isolate when you’re at home.”
Perhaps your employer can point you at the specific guidance that’s telling them that’s what you need to do? 

Ah yes, I'd missed that detail! Agree: you'd be self-isolating completely, so if you can't work from home, it would be reasonable for them to pay you normally as if you were at work, but I would still look into that 'early release' thing and expect the employer to pay the costs.  

Just found it: https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control/ending-self-isolation-early-through-test-to-release

In my colleague's case, they've been WFH since they got back, and could continue to do that but they're going stir crazy (not least because they had to quarantine the whole time they were in France), so they are paying personally for the early release tests. 

duk3nuk3m

elsien said:

Surely you’re either isolating or you’re not?
I’ve not seen any guidance that says “you can still go to work but you have to isolate when you’re at home.”
Perhaps your employer can point you at the specific guidance that’s telling them that’s what you need to do? 

I thought this too, but the gov.uk website states (underneath my job):

You must self-isolate. You can leave your accommodation when conducting the specific exempt work activity or travelling directly to and from your accommodation and a location for the purposes of this work. You must self-isolate at all other times during your stay.

duk3nuk3m

Savvy_Sue said:

Isn't there the possibility of a shorter isolation period if you pay for additional tests? I'd argue for the employer paying for that, at least. (It might depend on where you have to go: a colleague came back from France at the end of April and expects to be in the office tomorrow.)

Yes, my employer has said that they will pay for the Test To Release on day 5 of my self-isolation, but all of my colleagues who have worked abroad recently have all been contacted by Test and Trace because a person on their flight has tested positive. This deems the Test to Release result irrelevant.

duk3nuk3m

@JamoLew Please see above where I have quoted the gov.uk website and that is in fact how it works.

theoretica

duk3nuk3m said:

Savvy_Sue said:

Isn't there the possibility of a shorter isolation period if you pay for additional tests? I'd argue for the employer paying for that, at least. (It might depend on where you have to go: a colleague came back from France at the end of April and expects to be in the office tomorrow.)

Yes, my employer has said that they will pay for the Test To Release on day 5 of my self-isolation, but all of my colleagues who have worked abroad recently have all been contacted by Test and Trace because a person on their flight has tested positive. This deems the Test to Release result irrelevant.

That seems rather key - have your colleagues been given any recompense for self isolation, and do you think it would cause bad feeling if you were given some if they were not? That would make the company reluctant to agree.

Thrugelmir

duk3nuk3m said:

What are other people's thoughts on this situation? Would you be approaching your boss to negotiate a form of compensation (e.g. additional annual leave to cover the weekend) for having to self-isolate?

What are you missing out on at the current time? 

Over the years I always found being flexible resulted in leeway when I really needed the time. Building credit so to speak. Appear to be difficult and perceptions soon change. 

duk3nuk3m

theoretica said:

duk3nuk3m said:

Savvy_Sue said:

Isn't there the possibility of a shorter isolation period if you pay for additional tests? I'd argue for the employer paying for that, at least. (It might depend on where you have to go: a colleague came back from France at the end of April and expects to be in the office tomorrow.)

Yes, my employer has said that they will pay for the Test To Release on day 5 of my self-isolation, but all of my colleagues who have worked abroad recently have all been contacted by Test and Trace because a person on their flight has tested positive. This deems the Test to Release result irrelevant.

That seems rather key - have your colleagues been given any recompense for self isolation, and do you think it would cause bad feeling if you were given some if they were not? That would make the company reluctant to agree.

That is a very good point. I have spoken to my colleagues about the situation and they both agreed that they felt hard-done-by, but ultimately didn't raise the issue with management.