The holiday season will likely look a little different for many families in 2020. Yet while the coronavirus pandemic is still impacting communities around the country, employees may still elect to travel to see loved ones during Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. What can HR do to limit possible outbreaks associated with this seasonal travel?
The CDC compiled precautions and considerations for travelers to mitigate the risk of virus spread during holiday celebrations. These suggestions factor in how coronavirus is thought to spread—through respiratory droplets passed person-to-person when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or talks—and ways in which this spread can be limited.
The CDC recommends travelers consider the following factors before attending holiday gatherings:
Employers can’t prevent employees from taking non-work trips during the pandemic. However, The National Law Review points out that while employers are permitted to ask employees about their personal travel history—including future plans to travel—they must request this information from all teammates. Likewise, the request itself must be considered a business necessity.
If an employee is returning from a location specified as high risk by the CDC, state, or local public health officials, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) states that employers can ask about potential exposure—even if the worker traveled for personal reasons. Employers can also require this employee to self-quarantine until the 14-day period has passed.
If necessary, human resources teams can communicate the risks of holiday travel to employees, as well as additional annual reminders. Doing so could prevent an outbreak in your office or at your worksite once employees return after their travels.
Recommended communications can include:
Consider communicating this information well before your holiday travel season typically begins. This should give your team enough time to prepare accordingly—and make any necessary adjustments to their time-off requests or trip details.