The flight ban is likely to be in force well into this week and will naturally have a greater impact because of the knock on effect of cancelled flights last week.
This means you may have employees who are trying to return to the UK but who are unable to do so.
The HR Dept advice is as follows:
First of all – stranded employees who are on holiday should have tried to contact you to inform you that they are unable to attend work in accordance with your policy for reporting absence. Be compassionate in terms of people actually getting in touch, it may be difficult depending on where they are actually stranded.
As an employer, you have four options as to how you treat the additional time off:
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You may request an employee takes the additional days as holiday; or
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You may treat it is unpaid leave (time off do deal with an emergency in some cases could be argued – but still unpaid); or
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You may ask them to make up the time; or
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You may, at your discretion, pay them for that period (you are not obliged to pay them as they are not attending work).
What’s key is that you are consistent in your approach if this affects one or more of your employees.
If you have employees on business abroad who are unable to get back to the UK, this is slightly different. You have a duty of care under health and safety legislation to make sure they are looked after because they are on Company business. You are obliged to pay them and to give them additional subsistence allowances etc. Try to set your employees up to work remotely and ask them to keep in regular contact with you about travel options. You should also check with your travel insurer to see what support they can offer.
“Just another manic Monday” as someone once said!