Going abroad, get tested positive. What would I do?

[postiewhite]

Me and the missus are in two minds whether to book Spain for September but we will first wait for Boris's update at the nearest possible time to the holiday before we commit. If Spain remains in Amber or goes to Green we shall book as we are both double jabbed.
As a worrier I still look at worse case scenarios and in the event that if one of us tests positive when we have the test abroad 48hrs before we fly back to the UK then we would need to go to a quarantine hotel.
Firstly would I have to use any annual leave holidays I have remaining (which are already booked in on Nov and March) or do I simply not get any pay for the days I cannot attend work?

Also more importantly how does work see this situation if I have to quarantine abroad and cannot attend work? Is it a stage warning or does it go down as covid sickness?!
Basically what would be my best option regarding work if I was tested positive abroad?

[POSTMAN]

Trying to get info as this is different from say getting it normally.
Hold tight.
Unless anyone else has the 'proper' info, not guesswork.

[postiewhite]

Thanks a lot.

[Haditup]

You have an interesting valid point.
Would Royal Mail pay your wage and would it count as a sick absences if you caught Covid whilst Holidaying Abroad?

My guess ,yes they would pay if you caught Covid and this would not count as sick
No ,they would not pay for a locked up hotel holiday isolation period on return.

Personally,If I was travelling abroad I would expect the worse case scenario and have the financial back up and a insurance policy should you be hospitalised with Covid whilst abroad.

[afcdibby]

We have just returned from a holiday in Greece. I was subjected to a random test when we landed in Zante, but fortunately it was negative. If either of us had tested positive in Greece, we would've been quarantined in a Greek hotel at their expense and quite possibly anyone in near proximity to us on the plane. As it happened, our pre departure test (to return to England) was negative and our Day 2 tests were negative. However, I have since been notified of a close contact and I'm currently isolating. I figured it was from our return flight, but the person that travelled with me hasn't been contacted to isolate.

[Pumpernickel]

This has happened with people at my office and they were asked if they wanted to use remaining holidays to cover, or use unpaid leave.

I do not know if this is company wide policy.

[POSTMAN]

Reply

1: “Firstly would I have to use any annual leave holidays I have remaining (which are already booked in on Nov and March) or do I simply not get any pay for the days I cannot attend work?”
If it is not yourself that tests positive, then this time would need to be taken as annual leave or unpaid special leave. If you test positive, this would be recorded as sick absence – coronavirus confirmed case. Your manager would ask that you provide confirmation of your positive test result.

2 : “Also more importantly how does work see this situation if I have to quarantine abroad and cannot attend work? Is it a stage warning or does it go down as covid sickness?!”
Unless you have tested positive, any absence would be unpaid special leave or annual leave. If you have tested positive for coronavirus, your absence should be recorded as sick which would normally be discounted from the attendance procedure.

[britwrit]

It's slightly different but here's what happened to me recently. (I work in a mail centre.)

I returned from a holiday in the states in the middle of July. I tested positive on my Day 2 post-return test. My ten-day quarantine period then overlapped with the remainder of my leave and the week I was supposed to go back to work.

I was given the option of either (a) using paid sick leave to cover the entire ten-day period, and getting back the unused annual leave, or (b) spltting the difference: keeping the original annual leave and using paid sick leave for the rest.

I choose the second because I still have lots of leave left for the year and didn't want to deal with the paperwork.

I think it wouldn't make any difference about where you yourself tested postive for Covid. You still have to isoloate and wouldn't be ft to return to work for ten days.

Not that it should make any difference to the rules but I only work part-time. So we were only taking about two actual days of work here.

[Chelseablue]

A holiday to the states in july not having a go but that was a bit chancy . Esp the states.

[britwrit]

Yeah. It really wasn't a holiday but a chance to see dying family before tbey pass. It took some planning to pull off and even now, I get a little stressed thinking about it.