Anyone spotted this new stumbling block?

[user1475086949]

On the whole, staff are raring to go and if we're told business as usual or close to it in September will get on with it, subject to risk assessments etc.

However, what with the summer being the one time teachers can get away, and having worked through the last two holidays, we have a very high number of staff already booked on holidays with return travel during the last week of the holidays and who therefore will, under current guidelines, be self isolating for the first 2 weeks of term.

Many staff are hoping their holidays will be cancelled, but if they're not, still plan to go, as they would lose the money if they don't.

I've asked today and roughly 25% of staff are booked to travel home during the week of 23 August or later.

So if all (or most) children are to be back in school from 3 September, the quarantine plan is going to have to go.

Nothing like a bit of joined up thinking

chloedecker no. Because I can't take 2 weeks off for quarantine I am unable to go abroad this year despite our holiday being booked way before lockdown.

I have seen letters to staff in other schools saying that if the time is needed for quarantine in September it will be unpaid leave.

Because what you do is rearrange the holiday for next year so no need to lose money.

I’m a teacher, my partner is a nurse who has worked the whole way through the pandemic. She is exempt from quarantine as a result of her job.

She booked the last two weeks of August off months ago. We’ve accepted that if quarantine is still in place we can either holiday in England together, or she can go overseas to see her family and I will have to stay here.

Regardless of when you booked - we are not in normal times and I think it would be totally unacceptable to have your 6 weeks off and not be available to work when you are contracted to in sept. Everyone has made sacrifices for months - why should teachers be any different!

I got caught in the ash cloud in 2010 and I was paid. In some ways it’s comparable - these things happen occasionally and I don’t think people should be penalised for it.

I wouldn’t fret isla, she will start school. If her teacher was away they’d sort something out.

what you do is rearrange the holiday for next year so no need to lose money.

Unless you buy no refunds package but have travel insurance but the travel insurance refuses to pay out... happened to me already. £144 out of pocket -- it's a business trip in my case. I won't buy the 'no changes' version of anything in future.

Letseatgrandma you only have one teacher with a pre booked holiday for the last weeks of the holidays? We have about 25%, staff all deem to be booked for summer by Christmas.

I agree, we'd cover one but I doubt we could find 20, even if we could pay for them.

I think it would be totally unacceptable to have your 6 weeks off and not be available to work when you are contracted to in sep

Well, my LEA disagrees.

But everyone else is in exactly the same position, unless they work from home. Loads of people won't be able to go on holiday if they have to be in quarantine for 2 weeks when they come back. It's crap, but that's a pandemic for you. Teachers, like everyone else, will just have to suck it up.

Have any of the people saying cancel holiday or move it actually tried contacting these travel firms? They have you over a barrel. They don't answer the phone or emails. We would lose £3000 if we cancelled our holiday. Our company have expressly said we cannot move our booking to 2021 as they are not taking bookings .

I have no desire to go on holiday but also no desire to spend 3 grand to sit at home.

Its the organised early bookers who are losing out here!

2 weeks quarantine is not a holiday. You cannot go anywhere, not to the supermarket, the corner shop...nowhere. None of you. Unless ill, though, you can WFH so I fail to see why that would be leave or a disciplinary. The holiday in my case was booked around results days and in good faith that it would not interfere with my job, or my child's schooling.

I am due to come back 15 days before schools start. So that first day out of quarantine will be a treat.

It's not a new stumbling block though OP!

Even if they have booked the holiday prior to this all starting?

That's what they've been told. Obviously it hasn't happened yet and also my sister has no holiday booked so it won't affect her so I don't think she's getting too involved in it.

It’s true piggy, you should be a scatterbrain like me

This isn't about people wanting to go on holiday now neo. This is about people who booked ages ago. Many teachers book early because it's peak season. There was no way this could have been anticipated.

But, yeah, people should just suck up the loss of thousands of pounds.

Lots of people are going to be facing the dilemma ot take your holiday or lose 2 weeks' pay.

Teachers are lucky, as they are unlikely to be sacked f t.

And yes, it's shit, whatever your day job.

However, as it is consequent on the disease, deleting on how good your cover you might be able to claim on insurance. Join the thousands checking their insurance nervously.

And then rebook your much-needed break in Britain. I suggest you get a move-on with the admin for this, as workers in manynsectors are making this switch

Why can't they just be tested immediately they arrive back. Results could be available straight away and then if neg no.need for quarantine

I'm a teacher, dh isn't. We should have had a holiday that would have meant quarantine running into the start of term in September. We've cancelled it, fortunately (???) we've only lost a few hundred quid in deposits. Dh needs to be back at work two days after we were due back, and the dcs and I back at school the following week. We've taken the decision not to go based on that, coupled with not wanting to spend any length of time on a plane.

It's not just teachers in this position. It's going to be an issue for loads of people.

No insurance company will give you money back nor will any travel company if you cancel yourself. It's called disinclination to travel. Lots of shielded and clinically vulnerable people have been in a terrible spot because of this.

Well I won’t got abroad if there is a quarantine as i also have to return to my work. I will not be allowed to take that much time off. I don’t see why it would be any different for teachers.

This is exactly why teachers get a lot of hate. Why should they be treated any differently and why do they think they should? Can you imaging if a nurse or dr didn’t bother turning up for their shifts after their holiday abroad When they knew they would be quarantined. It just would’nt happen!

That would be totally reasonable if any teacher said “I cannot be bothered turning up.”

Let’s not be ridiculous.

Aren't we expecting an announcement to made tomorrow regarding air bridges to certain countries from 4th July?
So, depending on where people are holidaying, quarantine might not apply.
It's expected that FCO will revise advice against all but essential travel in line with this, too.

You know you misinterpreted that. Bluesaphires. The point is any other profession wouldn’t go on holiday if the quarantine rule applied after it. So teachers should not be an exception.

Anyone regardless of their profession who has booked their future holiday before lockdown began, should not be penalised because of the new quarantine rules.
No one knew prior to March 22nd that a 2 week quarantine was going to be required when coming back from their pre booked summer holiday.

I don’t think I did misinterpret it - it was the previous poster who claimed teachers were refusing to turn up!

I don’t think anybody should be out of pocket and I include non teachers in that. If other workplaces are being unreasonable the onus on them should be to treat their workers better not to insist teachers are treated worse.

Quite, Tracy!