Yesterday morning saw another move to Alert Level 3 for Auckland, and into Alert Level 2 for the rest of Aotearoa for the next week. While this brings about many challenges and impacts on businesses, whānau and communities, it is vital that we each play our part as both employers and employees to keep our nation safe.
To employers and mangers,
• ensure you help your people stay home if they are unwell, and support them if they are required to self-isolate.
• Encourage your teams to be vigilant with contact tracing and do remember to ask them if they’ve been to Auckland recently, or hosted visitors from the Auckland region.
• Give your teams confidence that they have your support to follow the rules required in order to keep our team of 5 million safe.
To employees,
• communicate with your managers and employers. If you are unwell or have had a test and are awaiting the result, stay home.
• Use contact tracing, whether it’s QR codes or manually, everywhere you go.
There is support available for businesses, employers and employees, so please familiarise yourself with the Short Term Absence Payment available to help cover some of the costs of employees self-isolating while waiting for test results. The Leave Support Scheme is for those who are required to self-isolate and can’t work from home.
The COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment has again been made available for viable and ongoing businesses and organisations who have experienced a 30% drop in revenue following a change in Alert Level of more than 7 days.