Connecting to confront dynamic uncertainty together
With more than 40 CEOs on our Connection Calls in the past week we've seen the true power of connection, as well as other Forum leaders reaching out for more support directly. The three key challenges that have emerged from these CEO discussions are:
- Accessing vaccines for workers
- Developing a clear policy and approach for workforce vaccinations given the health and safety, employment and privacy tensions (including unvaccinated workers)
- Near universal fatigue - reinforcing the mental wellbeing challenge for yourselves as leaders, your senior leadership teams and people.
Accessing vaccines for workers
After Managing Director of Pipeline & Civil, Hugh Goddard approached the Forum for support to help vaccinate their teams, we quickly connected him to Access Community Health, via Business New Zealand. Together with Construction Health and Safety NZ, Hugh and other construction teams across Auckland enabled 300 workers to access Covid vaccinations at a pharmacy in Mt Wellington on Sunday.
Access Community Health has now provided the Forum with a list of Unichem and Life Pharmacies, across New Zealand, who are open to taking direct group bookings from businesses. This additional channel is obviously under high demand, so there may be a wait.
If your organisation wants to explore whether pharmacies are an additional vaccination channel for your teams, please email us and we can put you in touch with the relevant pharmacy groups in your region.
Developing sensible vaccination policies
Some organisations have developed comprehensive approaches and policies for vaccinations, while others have yet to begin. The Forum is compiling some distilled guidance to support CEOs and their teams develop and/or test their current approach to vaccinations. We aim to have this available with urgency.
Other ways we can support you
With a number of his team unable to work during Alert Level 4, UMS (NZ) Country Manager Malcolm Allan got in touch with the Forum to see if there were other members who could find some work for his team. Malcolm made contact with the team at Countdown to see what was possible in the online shopping operations. After putting out the call to the company on Friday afternoon, a number have already signed up and are ready to start work at Countdown while the region is in Level 4.
If you, like other leaders are needing access to vaccines for workers, or need other support, please do get in touch.
Ngā mihi nui
Stay connected
Francois Barton
Executive Director | Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum
M +64 27 297 93 51 | E francois.barton@forum.org.nz