What to do when employees return from travel during pandemic

Q         We have two employees taking vacation soon, both out of state. Is it mandatory to make them quarantine when they come back, and if so, for how long?

A   No, in Texas, it isn’t mandatory for travelers to quarantine upon their return from out-of-state travel. If they traveled out of the country or to a location with a high rate of infection for COVID-19, you may want to consider having them work from home, if possible, for at least 14 days to ensure they haven’t been infected during their travels, but a quarantine isn’t mandatory.

As a best practice, if not already done, you may want to implement daily symptom and temperature checks for all employees, as well as other Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Texas Department of State Health Services recommended safety measures, as a way to minimize the risk of a workplace outbreak.

Jacob M. Monty is an attorney with Monty & Ramirez LLP in Houston, Texas. He can be reached at jmonty@montyramirezlaw.com.