HR Policies to Review for the Traffic Light Framework
Early 2020 we all started hearing waves of news from across the world of this strange virus that seemed to be spreading like wildfire. “Thank goodness we live in NZ” we thought! Like a plot from a Hollywood movie, we fast-forward to late 2021 and find ourselves picking ourselves up and brushing ourselves off in the knowledge that we have survived a shocking couple of years and that life, as we had known it, will never quite be the same.
As we start returning to our workplaces in the orange traffic light setting, now is the perfect time to prepare by asking ourselves what has changed? What will change? And, as an employer, what policies and procedures do we need to review to make sure we are actively prepared and can protect our staff and customers from COVID-19? Having seen what can happen, we are in a great place to assess the damage and plan our next steps as operations resume gradually.
With New Zealand moving to the Traffic Light System at 11:59pm on 2nd December 2021, employers need to start preparing now. Risk assessments, employee consultation processes and the preparation of reviewed policies will need to be undertaken to ensure that everything is ready to go when the light turns “red” and “orange” in December.
Policies and procedures for employers to review:
1. Health and Safety Policies
To minimise and manage the exposure of COVID-19 to employees and customers workplaces need to ensure they have the correct protocols defined for employees returning to workplaces safety – be it distancing, staying home when unwell, greater levels of hygiene and office cleaning, desk spacing, or a tiered workforce.
We encourage creating a COVID-19 Operations Policy to provide guidelines to employees and to align with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
What to discuss in a COVID-19 Operations Policy?
Vaccination certificates – which are a prominent feature of the red and orange traffic lights.
Cleanliness and hygiene
Mask wearing
Contact tracing
COVID-19 testing
Management of exposure in lower / higher risk settings
Reconfirm emergency contacts and contact details of employees so that staff can be contacted if necessary
The monitoring of health and safety issues –
How should your employees report hazards and risks?
How are hazards and risks addressed?
Do your staff have records to indicate/track this?
2. Wellbeing Policies / Mental Health Policies
Never has NZ seen such high rates of mental health issues, the last few years have dealt a heavy blow to individuals, families, and youth in terms of feelings of isolation, increased anxiety and most certainly depression.
With workplaces playing a huge part in mental health it has never been more important for employers to take a stance on how they can assist their employees in managing their mental health.
Do you offer an EAP service or private medical that covers mental health issues? Do you want to take a more pastoral approach to wellbeing in your workplace? And how well equipped are your managers to manage mental health issues without impacting their own mental health.
3. Travel Policies and Procedures:
Do you have a workforce that has to travel for their roles and/or visit high-risk sites such as rest homes, hospitals, or childcare facilities?
It is worth reviewing the locations staff may be required to travel to and understanding the levels of risk associated with these locations and reviewing your travel insurance policies to understand what is and is not covered for those who will be travelling.
Monitoring travel and keeping clear records of site visits will be crucial and if nothing else, the contact tracing process has been a reminder that we should be able to know where our staff have been and who they have been in contact within undertaking their roles.
4. Flexible Working / Remote Working:
Undoubtedly some businesses who had always felt they required their staff to be in the office have realised there may be a “new normal” and with some changes to how staff are managed and incentivised, flexible working could be an option. Changing office space environments, introducing hotdesking and tiered working (where not everyone is in at the same time all the time) may feel that much more feasible and financially advantageous.
As working from the office is not encouraged until the orange level, workplaces can take this opportunity to review their flexible working policies. Reviewing policies around how your company wishes to operate will be key to motivating staff who have enjoyed the flexibility of working from home or those who crave physical attendance at the office.
A key process of mandating vaccinations in the workplace is having role by role risk assessments and employee consultations and a flexible working policy may affect the way in which a role may be classed as higher or lower risk, which in turn ensures all employees can safely work from home, offsite or onsite.
5. Recruitment and Retention Policies
The landscape of the job market has flip-flopped significantly as the Covid pandemic has ebbed and flowed in NZ. Originally in 2020, we saw increasingly high numbers of job seekers in the market, due to restructures and downsizing and a flood of returning New Zealanders being available for work. This combined with few companies wishing to recruit for fear they would later have to close or must pay employees unable to work, resulted in a market flooded with candidates with few jobs to be filled.
Fast forward to 2021 and there is an extremely challenging market for employers wishing to recruit. Candidates who have roles are reticent to invite the instability of a new role and, in a period of significant change and challenge in their own life, they certainly do not wish to rock their own boat even further. Those who were previously on working visas may have returned to their home countries and restricted access to NZ visas being granted of late has resulted in a market starved of candidates. Having said that, some companies are mandating vaccines and this may mean there are more candidates on the market shortly. The market is uncertain so it’s important to really consider your own recruitment strategies.
If you do have to recruit, consider your recruitment strategy. What can you offer in this “new world” that will make you stand out as an employer of choice? How do you want potential candidates to see you and how can you ensure that their recruitment experience is positive and sympathetic to the madness of the world they are experiencing now?
6. Incentive Policies
There has never been a more important time to reward and incentivise your staff to “stick with you” and to recognise the sacrifices they have made working from home for you while managing their mental health or educating their children from home! Rather than needing to spend money on recruiting, consider policies to instead incentives and retain your wonderful and committed staff.
After over 100 days in lockdown, celebrating by way of a team exercise or social event, can give an opportunity for teams to “re-bond” in person, catch up on where they are now, what has changed for them and how they view this new world. Remember, priorities may have changed for some employees, it’s important to ensure you find activities or ways to celebrate that are inclusive and genuine and people see as a “reward”, not a chore.
7. Employment Contracts
With recent changes to the employment legislation, it’s important that your employment contracts indicate how you, as a business, will be navigating the necessity for sudden business closures or temporary changes to working conditions and how you will be managing the safety of your employees from both a mental and physical perspective.
For further advice on Employment Contracts, download our FREE guide!
8. Document Storage and Security
Of all the frustrations of the Covid 19 government-imposed restrictions, one that sticks clearly in any HR or Payroll Managers mind is that of not having access to crucial documents as they were safely stored under lock and key, in hardcopy in the office while offices were closed. There is also increasing guidance on the storage of information regarding the vaccination status of employees which adds complexity.
How are your important documents kept? Consider digitising or moving to a web-based HR or Payroll system so as you will not be caught short again if we, for whatever reason cannot be physically at the office.
If you choose to review your policies as above or are considering changing the way you work, incentivise or market yourself as an employer feel free to contact one of our Core HR Business Partners to discuss if we can help you navigate the “new normal” and ensure your staff and you are protected in this ever-changing employment landscape.
