Self-Quarantine Of Workers: How Should Employers Handle Coronavirus Measures?

News of the rapid spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Northern Italy has sparked nationwide concerns about the possibility of contagion reaching our shores. To prevent the risk of infections in the Maltese islands, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health, in a press release dated the 25 February, advised individuals returning from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Iran, South Korea and the Italian regions of Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna to quarantine themselves for a period of 14 days.

Employers who have members of their workforce travelling to or returning from the above indicated regions should proceed with caution prior to taking any decisions which might affect the employment conditions of the affected employees. The possibility of self-quarantine is not specifically tackled in Maltese employment law but such a period of voluntary isolation from the workplace may be adequately dealt with by making proper use of the