GETTING READY FOR DOING BUSINESS IN LEVEL 3

Prepared for Moore Markhams New Zealand as part of its COVID-19 communications to clients
The Government has clarified that most, but not all, businesses can start to open under Alert Level 3 from 11.59pm on Monday 27 April.

Businesses that are permitted to reopen – see below – can use the time until then to prepare but cannot trade (unless contactless).

The emphasis at Level 3 moves from ‘essential’ economic activity to ‘safe’ economic activity. The critical questions are: is it possible for your business to have social distancing? Can you build in contact tracing tools or mechanisms to keep track of your supply chain and customers?

A self-accreditation regime will be introduced for businesses to prove they have taken the steps necessary for ‘safety’. A workplace plan will need to be developed and easily accessible for staff, customers, and any other visitor to site, to view.
Key points around Level 3 for business are:

• Businesses must take health measures to keep workers safe.
• Workers must work from home if they can.
• For businesses that cannot operate from homes, workplaces must operate safely – keeping one metre between workers, recording who is working together, limiting interaction between groups of workers, disinfecting surfaces, and maintaining high hygiene standards.
• Retail and hospitality businesses can only open for delivery and contactless pre-ordered pick up – customers cannot enter stores.
• Supermarkets, dairies, and petrol stations can continue to allow customers into their stores, with the same restrictions and measures in place as Alert Level 4.
• Businesses cannot offer services that involve face-to-face contact or sustained close contact (e.g. hairdressing, massage, house cleaning, or door-to-door salespeople).
• Other in-home services can be delivered if it is safe to do so (like tradespeople for repairs or installations) – keep two metre separation from those in the house.
• Most workers will not require PPE to stay safe at work. Incorrectly used PPE can create more risk. Good hygiene measures like hand washing with soap and water, physical distancing, sneeze and cough etiquette, and wiping down surfaces is the best defence against COVID-19.
• Travel within your region is permitted.

More detailed guidance for sectors will be made over the coming days.Getting readyFirst up, your business may not look like it did when you shut the door in March. You need to expect that this current disruption will have lasting impact.
 
In getting ready, you may need to consider:

• Do you need all your staff back at your premise – can some continue to work at home? Should you separate staff into separate bubbles so not all are exposed should there be a COVID-19 exposure? Will you have enough work for all your staff?
• Do you need HR assistance to handle any changes in how you need to employ / redeploy your staff?
• What hygiene supplies do you need to have ready for when staff start work?
• Have you developed a health and safety COVID-19 plan?
• What infrastructure and equipment is required?
• How has the marketplace changed for your business / industry?
• Do you need to diversify your product lines?
• Can any of your products be repurposed to the current commercial environment?
• Can you provide contactless delivery / online sales if you are retail or hospitality?
• How will you let your customers know that you are open for (limited) business?
• Do you need to engage professionals to assist you with social media, signage at your premise, MailChimp or similar communications, newspaper advertising? You may need to book in to get timely delivery of these services.
• Likewise, book in with your printing company to be in the queue for when the printing presses are up and running.
• Be mindful that there will be a lot of ‘noise’ as businesses clamour for the attention of the marketplace. What can you do that cuts through that? Do you need staff to be phoning key clients and making personal connections?

If you have any concerns around how you can be gearing up to start business under Level 3, contact your Moore Markhams advisor.
 
Details around Level 3 generally can be found here or in this pdf – download here.

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