As Omicron cases swell, businesses need to use technology and ingenuity to keep as many staff able to work as possible. Francois Barton spoke to 48 top New Zealand chief executives about what they are planning.
The figures are sobering. Over a one-month period at the height of Omicron - where we are headed now - between 25 percent and 30 percent of a business’ staff members could be impacted in some way by Covid. That’s according to Australian emergency health response expert Dr Ian Norton, who spoke to New Zealand executives and directors at a seminar organised by the Business Leaders Health and Safety Forum and the Institute of Directors this week.
It could be a positive test, waiting for a negative test, being a close contact - or a family or household member being a close contact - being a casual contact, feeling unwell but having no idea if it’s Covid or not, or having been to a place where there were cases.
For anyone trying to run a business, large or small, it is certainly daunting. But over two weeks from the start of February, as I spoke with close to 50 chief executives across the country and from varying industries, I realised New Zealand companies have been able to learn from what’s happened overseas and that a considerable level of strategic planning has gone into preparing for significant disruption to businesses, people and supply chains.
And that has left me with an overriding sense of grounded, credible and genuine optimism. For many New Zealand businesses, they’ve got this.
I see two critical areas: protecting the supply of workers; and managing workflows, given the fact companies will potentially have a constrained workforce.
Protecting the supply of workers
The message from the CEOs and from Norton is that good, timely information is going to be critical. And companies are starting to prepare to get that information themselves.
For example, a couple of companies I spoke to have developed app-based software which allows employees to tell them if they’ve tested positive for Covid, or have been flagged as a close contact.
Combined potentially with bluetooth used within a worksite, that could tell management almost instantly who a Covid positive person has come into contact with during the period they may have been at work.
Another strategy is to make sure the company and frontline management have a very clear idea around what a close contact actually is, and what information is needed to verify that. As cases rise, we are less likely to be able to rely on the Ministry of Health to identify close contacts, or on Covid PCR tests to provide a timely yes or no.
Companies will need clear plans, processes and policies to minimise the numbers of people who need to be in isolation.
Companies are also moving back to dedicated bubbles, alternative site access options, encouraging more working from home, and identifying who its critical workers and teams are. Often it’s not just those who ‘do’ the work, but those behind the scenes who keep the lights on.
Increased use of RATs
Rapid antigen tests will also play a key role for businesses.
Some organisations are preparing care packs for employees so they’re ready when Covid hits their home. These include rapid antigen tests (RATs) so if an employee has a sick partner or child at home but doesn't have symptoms they’ll be able to quickly test to check if it’s safe to come to work.
Norton believes global supply chains for RATs are starting to free up. Even over the last couple of weeks there have been some private sector suppliers offering tenders for RATs available for businesses in New Zealand.
Deliberately managing workflows
CEOs also spoke to me of how they’re deliberately managing demand on what will be an increasingly constrained workforce. We can’t simply expect business as usual with fewer people able to come to work.
It’s about prioritising work activities for profitability and survival, one told me. For example, one company has invited all department heads to identify what work could be stopped or slowed down; another has sent a clear message to frontline workers to consolidate their work now. The next few months are not the time for non-critical work activities.
We’re not naïve enough to suggest that these tactics will apply to all businesses, nor do they attempt to diminish the size of the challenge we are bracing for. Omicron will be a dynamic scenario to manage, but attempting to withdraw from it will likely yield worse results than walking towards it and learning as we go.
The Business Leaders Health and Safety Forum’s summary from discussions with 48 CEOs between 1-10 February, 2022 is available here.
