COVID-19 advice for organisations

Created: March 9, 2020 at 3:37 PM | Updated: October 27, 2021 | By NZ Navigator Trust

Latest news

Auckland and parts of Waikato are at Alert Level 3.  Read about the boundaries for each area here. 

Parts of the Waikato will join Auckland at Alert Level 3 Step 1 from 11:59pm, Wednesday 27th October. Read more about the steps here. 

The settings for both Auckland and the Waikato will be reviewed on 1 November.

The rest of New Zealand, including Northland, is at Alert Level 2. 

The COVID-19 Protection Framework

The new COVID-19 Protection Framework aims to provide a pathway out of lockdowns giving vaccinated New Zealanders more freedom. 

The framework is a 3-level approach (Green, Orange and Red) to managing COVID-19 in the community. Details about the response plan and each of the levels can be found here.

Vaccination certificates

Vaccine certificates will soon be a feature of our daily lives.  After creating a My Health Account, New Zealander's can access their COVID-19 vaccination records through the My Covid Record website.

Soon digital vaccination certificates (using QR codes) will also be available. Read more about requesting proof of vaccination here.

More general resources about vaccines can be found here.

Government COVID-19 website

The New Zealand Government COVID-19 website gathers everything you need to know into one place, including the latest updates.

 The government COVID-19 website has lots of resources for organisations and individuals:

  • Find the latest financial support information here.
  • You can find useful posters for your workplace or community here.
  • Find out about misinformation and scams here.
  • Access material to share on social media here.
  • and get the latest updates here.
Face coverings

Face coverings are now mandatory at Alert Level 2 (and above) for most people visiting and working in businesses and services. You  are also strongly encouraged to use face coverings when around other people as it helps keep everyone safe. Read more about face covering requirements in different alert levels here.

Mandatory recordkeeping

Mandatory recordkeeping is required for busy places and events.

Your organisation needs to ensure you have record keeping systems and processes in place - read more here.

Read information about QR codes and community and voluntary organisations here.

Get more information on the official QR code posters here. 

Print more copies of your QR poster here.

Ministry of Health

Visit the Ministry of Health website here to get current health advice about COVID-19.

Check the MOH website for information about:

COVID-19 vaccine information

New Zealand's COVID-19 vaccine programme is well underway - get the latest information on New Zealand's vaccine programme here.

The COVID-19 vaccines are free of charge and although they are not mandatory for the New Zealand public, they are highly recommended. 

Vaccinations and your staff

COVID-19 has created many challenges and your organisation needs to be clear about it's role as an employer around COVID-19 vaccinations. 

Get informed by reading the advice from business.govt.nz here. Worksafe New Zealand also offers guidance to help with decisions about the type of work that requires a vaccinated worker.

Some professional groups and organisations are moving to mandating full vaccine coverage of staff - Employment New Zealand has advice and general employment information about vaccines here.

Vaccination policy and guidance

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions COVID vaccination policy is a great resource for organisations that are planning and developing policies around vaccinations for their workers and customers. Download the pdf here.

Financial support around level changes

Resurgence Support Payment

The current alert level increase across New Zealand has triggered the Government’s COVID resurgence support payment (RSP).

The COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment helps to cover wages and fixed costs for businesses who have been directly affected when there is an increase to Alert Level 2 or higher for a week or more. Businesses anywhere in NZ can apply if they meet the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible, your organisation must have experienced at least a 30% drop in revenue over a 7-day period, due to an increase in Alert Levels.

The Resurgence Support Payment is being increased from 12 November 2021 and will be paid fortnightly. The eligibility criteria remains the same.

  • Businesses can receive $3000 per business plus $800 per full-time employee (FTE), up to 50 FTE.
  • The maximum fortnightly payment is $43,000.
  • If you are self employed, or a sole trader you can receive a payment of $3,800.

These payments are to help employers keep paying staff and protecting  jobs.

You can get more information here.

Wage subsidy scheme

If your organisation cannot operate because of Alert Level 4 restrictions (or while any part of the country is in Level 3 or 4) or will lose revenue, you can apply for the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy scheme to help keep paying your staff.

Organisations must expect a 40% drop in revenue to be eligible to receive the wage subsidy. 

Applications for the fifth round of the August 2021 Wage Subsidy are open until 11:59pm on October 28th. 

This scheme is managed by Work and Income and you can get more information here.

You can get an overview of all government financial assistance on the COVID-19 website here.

COVID-19 Short-term Absence Payment

A Short-Term Absence Payment is available at all Alert Levels for businesses to cover eligible workers who:

  • cannot work from home and
  • need to stay at home for a few days while awaiting a COVID-19 test result.

There's a one-off payment of $350 for each eligible worker. 

Parents or caregivers who need to miss work to support their dependents who are staying at home awaiting a test result will also be eligible. Read more about this payment here.

COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme

You can apply for the Leave Support Scheme if you have staff who can’t work because of COVID-19. Read about who is eligible, how to apply and more here.

Community Capability and Resilience Fund

The MSD-managed Community Capability and Resilence (CCRF) fund was focussed on initiatives developed by community groups to support the rebuild and recovery from COVID-19.

The last round of this fund, aiming to support communities over the next two years, closed on 1 October 2021. Read more about the fund here. 

NZ COVID Tracer app

The NZ COVID Tracer app is the official government contact tracing app. The app makes it easier to identify people who have come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19. 

More information about the app, including how personal information is used, is available here on the Ministry of Health website.

COVID-19 QR code poster

All businesses are required to display government generated QR code posters at all premises. You can generate a QR code poster for your premises - read more here.

Organisations must display their QR code poster in all levels, including Level 1.

PPE guidance for NGO community workers

Te Pou have a resource on the use of personal protection equipment by people in NGO organisations who support people in their homes.  Download the resource here.

Working in essential jobs with physical or close contact

Recommendations for organisations with people doing essential jobs that may require physical or close contact - see guidance on wearing protective equipment.

Providing support by phone or video

This Te Pou resource is aimed at workers in NGO organisations who are moving to phone or video support with someone they are working with. Download the resource here for guidance on preparation and good practice advice.

Coronavirus and the Law

Community Law has answered the most frequently asked questions relating to the NZ Government's COVID-19 law changes. Read more here.

COVID-19 Legal Handbook

Parry Field lawyers have released a free handbook on key legal issues that New Zealanders are facing as a result of COVID-19. Topics include financial assistance and paying staff; business and governance; signing documents; contractual issues and obligations; and charities. Download the handbook here.

Looking After Mental Health and Wellbeing around COVID-19

The Mental Health Foundation have tips and information on their website to help individuals and organisations look after our wellbeing, and the wellbeing of our whānau and community.  

Blueprint for Learning has created a framework, based on the Te Whare Tapa Whā model, for working well from home. This framework looks at the four dimensions of wellbeing.

All Right? has become a powerful champion for wellbeing in Canterbury following the earthquakes and have launched a new mental health kit to help New Zealanders get on top of COVID-19 - Getting through together.  The toolkit includes Wellbeing on the frontline - wellbeing tips for both managers and staff working through the pandemic) and Sparklers (a wellbeing toolkit with activities for children).

Governance in a crisis

JBWere has published a guide that has seven areas of focus for board leadership to consider during times of crisis.

Charities Services have produced a one page summary of the JBWere report here [PDF, 77 KB].

IRD responding to COVID-19

Inland Revenue is focused on ensuring people get their entitlements, including COVID-19 relief - find out more here. 

Information for registered charities

Charities Services have information on COVID-19 for registered charities.  You'll find answers to a wide range of questions that charities may be dealing with including:

  • does the government's economic support package extend to registered charities?
  • what if you need to cancel or postpone your AGM?
  • what can you do to support staff and volunteers during this time?
  • what can charities do to help?

MBIE COVID-19 Information for Businesses

Guidance about workplace activities at different alert levels is available on the MBIE website. This guidance addresses some frequently asked questions as well as examples of what each alert level might look like for different kinds of businesses. Read more here.

 

MBIE COVID-19 resources

 

To help you stay up to date with developments, MBIE has collated some resources for businesses here. This includes everything from health and travel guidance, to how to create a business continuity plan. 

 

https://covid19.govt.nz (opens in a new window)