Thousands of kiwis (including your employees) are booking flights to Australia but our PM has labelled the trans-Tasman bubble as ‘Flyer Beware’. So what does this mean for your business if the borders close unexpectedly and your employees are stranded on the other side of the ditch?
Here’s four things to think about:
- Prepare: Check your leave approval guidelines and policies. Make sure they’re up to date with current legislation. Ensure your business continuity plans are also up to date – just in case the unfortunate happens and borders close. Take time to think about scenario planning – what would happen if one, two or more employees get stuck in Australia. Check what cover you’ll need and who can help you. Make a realistic plan so you can come back to it if you need to and know what to expect.
- Communicate: Have a clear conversation with your team now before leave applications start to pile up. Let them know what your expectations are if they got stranded. For example, encourage administration and office staff to take their laptop with them if they can work remotely. Talk about available leave they have left just in case they need it and encourage team members to make a plan so they can support themselves financially if the worst happens and they’re stuck for a longer period of time.
- Mitigate risk: Protect your business. If more than one employee gets stuck over in Australia, what would the impact be on your business? Is it a sounder decision to only let one employee at a time go? No matter your decision, be clear with your team about what’s expected.
- Be aware: Keep a close eye on what’s happening in Australia and review before approving any leave. A helpful site to keep an eye on is this Australian government site.
Ultimately, we don’t know what the future of the trans-Tasman bubble could hold, so take the time to prepare and plan. Clear, early communication with your team about what could happen and your plans for worst case scenarios, will ultimately be your best defence.