'They've all been very quiet… We need employers to start leading by example'
Photo by Eve Mackay
In light of the government’s decision to end all Covid-19 health restrictions, Siouxsie Wiles has set a challenge to organisations to become champions in implementing policies to reduce transmission of the virus in the workplace.
Just as some employers have become leaders in the space of parental leave policy, Wiles says the latest announcement is the perfect opportunity for organisations to step up and show leadership to help reduce further spread and keep people safe.
“We need employers to start leading by example,” says microbiologist and infectious disease specialist Wiles.
“I am aware of some [organisations] taking all this very seriously and which have looked at ventilation, for example, but they’ve all been very quiet. What we really need are some champions to say about their workplaces: ‘We accept this is an issue, and this is what we’re doing to solve it’.”
Ensuring people feel supported to stay home
There are two fundamental ways she believes employers can do this. One is to set an expectation that when people are unwell, they don't come to work, ensuring they feel supported to stay home.
Secondly, it’s about ensuring people who are at work when they're infectious don’t spread it – remembering that people can be infectious and not have any symptoms. That means, for instance, looking at ventilation and air purification, and making sure people understand what a safe environment looks like, such as knowing when to open windows and doors, and using masks where necessary, says Wiles, who is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and in 2021 was named the 2021 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year for her leadership through the country’s Covid-19 response.
Positive action in this way will make them appealing employers too and help attract talent, she adds.
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“I urge some businesses to see whether they're willing to step up and help educate everybody about what can be done.”
The government has dropped the last remaining Covid mandates so if someone tests test positive, they are no longer legally required to self-isolate for seven days. Special leave provisions have ended too.
Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall said the Ministry of Health’s guidance was for people to continue to stay home if unwell or testing positive for Covid-19.
Employers have big role to play in ‘collective effort’
Wiles emphasises that cracking down on Covid-19 needs to remain a collective effort, rather than an individual one – and employers have a big role to play in this.
“We have to remember what it was like at the beginning of the pandemic, when we acted collectively, for the benefit of all of us – that’s what works.”
She urges employers to think about what higher transmission rates would mean for their businesses. Not only heavier workloads for those left, but also greater numbers of repeat infections for people. This is bad news, she says, since the risks are cumulative and that increases people’s susceptibility to long Covid and other complications that would mean employees would need extended time away.
On top of this are the greater risks for the immunocompromised and vulnerable.
“I can't put into words how awful the future looks if we just allow the virus to keep transmitting,” says Wiles. “The long-term consequences for workplaces, for people's productivity and health are really bad.”
Setting expectations through the implementation of a formal corporate policy specifically on the subject is a good idea, she adds, and making it achievable and workable is vital.
‘When you’ve got a high-trust environment, people will give their best’
Having rapid antigen tests readily available at work is a sensible move too, and trusting people’s self-reporting of a positive test, says Wiles.
“My understanding is that the evidence is really clear that when you've got high-trust environment, people will give you their best.
“The best scenario is that employees don't have to use their annual leave because people need it to help replenish their batteries. Sick leave is for when you're sick. So if you run out of sick leave, it’s ideal if employers are more flexible, and don't make people use up their leave.
“Ultimately, what we want is a workplace where people feel valued, where people are able to be rested and to give their best. Those kinds of workplaces will be both attractive, and be more productive and efficient, and have a happier workforce.”