COVID-19 UPDATE FROM MBIE
At the time of publication, the whole of New Zealand is at red under the traffic light system. To help guide businesses through the latest Covid-19 outbreak, the Government has published details of financial support schemes and provided clarity on isolation requirements
WHILE WORK IS ABLE TO CONTINUE UNDER RED, IT’S LIKELY THAT EMPLOYERS WILL EXPERIENCE STAFF SHORTAGES DUE TO ISOLATION AND RECOVERY.
Workers will have to isolate if they exhibit symptoms of Covid-19, or are close contacts of confirmed cases. As this will impact landscapers and businesses’ ability to carry out work and earn revenue, the government has made various Covid-19 financial support schemes available:
1. Short-term absence payment of $359 per eligible worker is available to employers to pay workers who stay home while waiting for a Covid-19 test result. It’s also available to eligible selfemployed workers. This can only be accessed once per worker in any 30-day period, unless a health official or doctor tells the worker to get another test.
2. Leave support scheme of $600 per week for full-time workers and $359 per week for parttime workers is available to employers to pay employees who have been advised to self-isolate because of Covid-19 and can’t work from home. It’s also available to eligible selfemployed workers.
3. Small business cash flow loan scheme (SBCS) can provide loans of up to $100,000 to small businesses (employing less than 50 full-time staff), including sole traders and the self-employed, impacted by Covid-19 to support their cash flow needs. Landscapers who have already used the SBCS and have fully repaid it can apply again. Applications are open until 31 December 2023. The SBCS can be applied for via myIR.
The financial support available to businesses is designed to help alleviate the shortfall in economic activity, but it’s also advised that everyone is double vaccinated and boosted, uses masks, scans in and practises physical distancing. Staying home if unwell is also recommended.
For more information on the three financial support packages, visit business.govt.nz/ covid-19/financial-support-forbusinesses.
THREE PHASES TO BE AWARE OF
Safely navigating staff returning to work will be a hurdle many landscapers will have to jump over at some point, especially as there are different isolation and testing requirement depending on which phase we’re in (phase one as of February 2022).
PHASE ONE
• Anyone with symptoms must isolate and get a test. • Confirmed Covid-19 cases must isolate for 14 days.
• Contacts of confirmed cases must isolate for 10 days, get tested at days five and eight. Symptomatic contacts must test immediately.
PHASE TWO
• Anyone with symptoms must isolate and get a test. • Confirmed Covid-19 cases must isolate for 10 days, with self-release after day 10 if asymptomatic for 72 hours. • Contacts of confirmed cases must isolate for seven days, with a test on day five.
PHASE THREE
• Anyone with symptoms must isolate and get a test.
• Confirmed Covid-19 cases must isolate for 10 days, with self-release after day
10 if asymptomatic for 72 hours. • Contacts of confirmed cases must isolate for seven days, and test if symptomatic.
While work is able to continue under red, it’s likely that employers will experience staff shortages due to isolation and recovery. As things stand, the landscape industry is not included within the critical workers criteria and is not eligible for the government’s testto-return approach to allow the reduction in isolation period for critical workers.
More information can be found via business.govt.nz/covid-19/rapidantigen-testing.