Bosses can tell employees to cancel their holiday if they have to quarantine afterwards and are not able to work from home, warns a report in The Telegraph.
Lawyers says that employers have the right to revoke annual leave as long as they provide the same number of days’ notice as the length of the holiday, said the newspaper.
“For example, someone wanting to take two days off work to travel to France could be told by their employer two days before their departure that they are no longer allowed to go. Firms must give a good business reason why the holiday must be cancelled,” said The Telegraph.
The problem affects employees who cannot work from home and are travelling to destinations which require a two-week quarantine on return.
Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic are the latest destinations to have been removed from the government’s quarantine safe list.
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Jennifer Smith of law firm JMW Solicitors told The Telegraph: “Employers who can’t manage workflow without a specific employee for the length of their proposed holiday plus a 14-day quarantine period might be able to revoke holiday approval. This is arguably a clear business reason.”
However, the report said employees could be entitled to compensation from their employer if cancelling their holiday causes them to lose money, although it may involve going to an employment tribunal.
Kate Hindmarch of Langleys Solicitors told the newspaper: “If the holiday was booked some time ago, particularly before the restrictions were introduced, then employers should be more flexible and more understanding and should honour it.”
Rather than having to cancel their trips, employees may be required to take annual leave to cover the quarantine period or take unpaid leave.