New Zealand Declares National Emergency: Recovery Plan For Your Business

New Zealand’s recent declaration of a national emergency following extreme weather events has affected many small businesses.

There have been reports of extensive damage to property and homes with no power. Being an unexpected emergency, many businesses have been forced to think quickly about their next steps.

A significant concern that many employers are now facing is how their business can stay afloat during these uncertain times. For example, some questions that arise are:

• How can I take care of my employees?
• How can I keep me and my staff safe?
• How will this affect working arrangements?
• How do I manage insurance claims?
• Should I speak to my landlord if my premises were affected by the weather emergency?

In this article, we’ll provide some information which can help your business recover following these events, and protect your business against any unprecedented events in the future.

How Can I Take Care Of My Employees?

New Zealand’s weather emergency has affected individuals across the country. As a business owner, one of your main concerns is likely to be about your employees and how you can look after them during this difficult time.

If your workplace or business premises have been affected by the weather, and it isn’t safe to be working from those premises, make sure your employees do not come in. We recommend that you actively communicate with all staff about the processes to follow across your business and to prioritise everyone’s safety.

For example, you may wish to mandate working from home or remote work in the meantime. If employees’ homes have been affected, you can arrange for temporary business premises to be used by your employees.

If you’re having any issues regarding employment, we recommend that you reach out to the Early Resolution Service, which is a free phone-based service that provides help for workplace issues.

Alternatively, you can reach out to our legal experts who can answer your legal questions about employment law.

Should I Speak To My Landlord About My Commercial Lease?

If your business is operating under a Commercial Lease, and your business premises have been affected by the recent weather conditions, it’s important that you speak to your landlord so they can sort out costs and compensation for the damage done.

During this time, you may also wish to speak to them about rent and any other key matters affected by the weather emergency.

Before entering into these kinds of discussions, it helps to understand the key terms of your agreement and where you stand. Our legal experts can review your Commercial Lease for you, and highlight any key terms that may need to be re-drafted.

Learn more about our Commercial Lease Review packages. Our team is also happy to chat to you about our Contract Review & Re-draft packages, depending on what you need.

Wellbeing Comes First

With so much going on and many things to consider on the business side of things, it’s important not to lose sight of your mental health and general wellbeing.

During these stressful times, remember to look out for your staff and for each other. Even when everything is back to business, check in on your employees and ensure that their working conditions are safe and comfortable.

It’s likely that some of your staff will have been affected by the floods, so as an employer, it’s important that you take the steps to ensure they have a safe and stress-free workplace.

You may wish to look into employee entitlements and their ability to request a Mental Health Day off work. If they need more time off, be sure to review their leave entitlements and grant leave accordingly.

At Sprintlaw, our legal experts can advise you on your employer obligations and what your employees may be entitled to during this time. Contact us to learn more about our Employee or Contractor Advice package.

Protect Your Business In The Future

New Zealand’s recent national emergency was unforeseen, however, businesses can take steps now to ensure they have the right measures and processes for potential future events of whatever kind.

For example, you can implement an Emergency Plan for your staff. This could be incorporated into your onboarding process so all employees are familiar with your safety procedures from the beginning. You can include your Emergency Plan in your Workplace Policies, which we recommend keeping in an easily accessible Staff Handbook.

Need Help?

We know that many individuals and businesses are recovering from these unprecedented events, but we’re here to help where we can.

Here are some helpful contacts for your business, depending on what you need help with:

• First Steps offers wellbeing support and resources during these difficult times. Call or text 1737 for more information.
• Early Resolution Service offers help with employment issues through their free phone-based service.
• The Employers & Manufacturers Association has a Business Helpline - contact 0800 500 362 or email info@businesshelpline.co.nz to learn more.

If your business was affected by the recent flooding, the Government is offering a $5 million package to help out. Check out the criteria here.

If you need help or assistance with your tax obligations as a sole trader, reach out to our friends at Hnry and they can chat you through your financial admin.

If you need any legal help with your contract reviews, re-drafting or employment law advice, you can reach us at 0800 002 184 or team@sprintlaw.co.nz for a free, no-obligations chat.