Retail NZ asks for clear guidelines on mandatory jab policies

Retail NZ has called on the New Zealand government to provide clear guidelines on formulating vaccine policies for employees, while also reiterating its call to reject the Holidays Amendment Bill.

The group unveiled 10 recommendations for the government to consider in terms of economic recovery.

1. Set clear dates for the implementation of the Auckland Roadmap, so that businesses can plan ahead and that the public can get vaccinated.
2. Urgently implement saliva testing as part of the COVID-19 response.
3. Urgently provide a clear mandate for employers seeking to require staff to be vaccinated.
4. Backdate proposed rent relief arrangements to 17 August when the current round of lockdown restrictions started.
5. Provide additional financial support for businesses impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions.
6. Speed up the regulation of interchange fees – which would have a positive impact for small and medium retailers.
7. Put a two-year moratorium on further increases in the Minimum Wage.
8. Defer the proposed “Fair Pay Agreement system.”
9. Immediately vote down the Holidays (Parent-Teacher Interview Leave) Amendment Bill.
10. Stimulate the economy and mitigate the impacts of cost increases by reducing the rate of GST.

The string of recommendations come after Retail NZ's latest quarterly Retail Radar report showed that nationwide average retail spending declined by at least 15% in August and 16% in September, with the slump attributed to government lockdowns and alert level changes.

"We did not see a significant bounce back when areas outside Auckland moved to Alert Level 2," said Greg Harford, Retail NZ's chief executive.

Read more: Air New Zealand imposes mandatory vaccinations by November 14

The report also revealed more retailers have become unsatisfied with the government's response to COVID-19. According to the report, more than 69% of retailers are now unsatisfied, a significant jump from the 29% the previous quarter.

"Retailers are facing significant issues like cost pressures, ability to make rent payments, and lack of stock across Alert Level 2 and 3. Retailers are impacted tougher trading restrictions placed on retailers at the new alert level settings. This is further reflected in 87% of retailers asking the government to provide a financial payment to be used specifically for the costs of rent," Harford added.

Retail NZ adds to the growing number of associations calling on the government to make workplace-related guidelines on vaccinations.

The Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) previously asked the New Zealand government to implement vaccine passports in the workplace, though it did not support mandatory jabs.

The government has already announced plans to implement vaccine passports for large-scale events and is in consultation for its implementation in the hospitality sector.

Read more: Parental leave in New Zealand: Top questions answered

No to 'Parent-Teacher Inter Leave'

Meanwhile, another notable bullet in Retail NZ's recommendations to the government is its call to reject the Holidays (Parent-Teacher Interview Leave) Amendment Bill.

"Immediately vote down the Holidays (Parent-Teacher Interview Leave) Amendment Bill," the recommendation read.

The bill seeks to provide working parents of up to four hours of special leave every year so they can attend school interviews.

Harford previously slammed the bill as "unnecessary" and said it will create a "dangerous precedent of discriminatory legislation" in the workplace.

According to the chief executive, the four-hour leave could lead to a 6.6-million losses in working hours a year, a reduction the industry cannot afford following burdens from the pandemic, increasing employment costs, hike in minimum wage, sick leave entitlements, and public holidays.