Employees who travel to non-approved countries risk jobs

Residents of Austria should be able to travel without restriction to a wide array of countries, but some will be tempted to travel where bans are still in place. Labor law experts warn that employees risk losing pay if they return infected with Covid-19 in such cases. In the worst-case scenario, they could even lose their job.

Austria opened its borders in the middle of the month to allow people to cross it without spending two weeks in self-isolation as long as they are on a list of 31 countries within the European Economic Area. Lawyers warn that those who are unable to work upon return from a country not on this list could lose their right to compensation during the period of their absence. Employers could even demand compensation in some cases.