No, you can’t prevent employees from traveling but you can strongly recommend to them that they don’t and make it clear that you DON’T have to pay them for the days they spend in self-isolation if they can’t work from home. The number of days required, of course, will depend on where they went and to whom they were exposed, in accordance with public health guidelines.
Yes, the answer MAY BE different if the employee belongs to a union. That’s because the employee’s leave entitlement will be based not on the ESA but the terms of the collective agreement, which may, in fact, provide for paid leave. So make sure you read whatever collective agreement applies in determining whether to pay the employee for the self-isolation time.
Great questions and I hope this answers them. Glenn
