The health and well being of our people remains our number one priority and we continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak to provide the most appropriate guidance as circumstances change. We are continuously monitoring the advice of the Australian Government, Health Departments and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Based on the advice of these organisations, Zone IT Solutions has prepared the below information and guidance, and we have taken steps to mitigate the spread of the disease and ensure the health and safety of our people. We all have a role to play in keeping each other safe at work and we kindly request your cooperation to ensure these measures are strictly implemented within your respective work sites.

what you can expect from us

During this COVID-19 outbreak, we have been working hard to ensure a continuation of service to you. Our priority, like yours, is to contain the spread of the virus by keeping all our staff, temporary workers and contractors as safe as possible whilst minimising disruption to businesses. As such, we have activated our Business Continuity Plan and a managing COVID-19 guide that will help steer our employees, contractors and candidates. For all our offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra, we are asking our staff to work from home. All internal and external meetings with clients and candidates must be conducted virtually.

your questions answered

Like many organisations in Australia, you may have questions about business risks in the event of unseen workforce contingencies. How can you ensure your business meets legal and contractual obligations in a rapidly evolving world of work and regulatory environment?

We have developed a list of Q&As below to help provide answers and resources you should review to help your company minimise risks, adopt best practices and stay informed throughout rapid market changes around the world.

faqs

What is COVID-19 and what are the symptoms to look out for?

COVID-19 is a type of virus. Typical symptoms include fever and a cough that may progress to severe pneumonia, causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Please rest assured that having these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have the virus.

What can you do to protect yourself and other employees?

At this stage, we do not know how the virus spreads from person to person. There are steps you can take to help avoid catching (and spreading) germs:

  • stay at home if you are unwell.
  • cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
  • put used tissues in the bin immediately.
  • wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
  • try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
  • do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
  • please contact your manager if you are unwell.

How do I practice social distancing?

Social distancing is an effective measure, but it is recognised that it cannot be practised in all situations and the aim is to generally reduce potential for transmission.

While practising social distancing, people can travel to work (including public transport). For non-essential activities outside the workplace or attendance at schools, universities and childcare – social distancing includes:

  • avoiding crowds and mass gatherings where it is difficult to keep the appropriate distance away from others
  • avoiding small gatherings in enclosed spaces, for example family celebrations
  • attempting to keep a distance of 1.5 metres between themselves and other people where possible, for example when they are out and about in public place.
  • avoiding shaking hands, hugging, or kissing other people.
  • avoiding visiting vulnerable people, such as those in aged care facilities or hospitals, infants, or people with compromised immune systems due to illness or medical treatment.

What is your view on Zone IT’s ability to continue to supply clients with workforce services over the coming months?

Like most companies, Zone IT maintains a Business Continuity team focused on maintaining all aspects of our business functions related to the COVID-19 virus and its impact. In the current business environment, we have established protocols following recommendations from health authorities, national, regional and local task forces, and other advisory groups to ensure we can continue to run our business and support our clients and workers in the safest and most effective manner possible for all stakeholders.

As any emergent situation would require, Zone IT will very closely follow the guiding rules client organizations have in place for their own employees and will advise our employees on client sites to adhere to these same policies and procedures, with applicable monitoring and guidance.

What is the latest travel advice?

From 16/3/20, the government has updated its travel advice for people entering Australia. If your staff are travelling or returning to Australia, they will be required to self-isolate (Coronavirus COVID-19 isolation guidance) for 14 days. This applies to all travellers, including Australian citizens. For details see the Australian Border Force website.

The government has advised Australians not to travel aboard to any country.

What provisions/best practices are Zone IT following that may be of help to you?

We believe governments and health agencies are best positioned to determine appropriate measures, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and other prominent health organizations, and our global and local task forces are adhering to their guidelines on mitigation and prevention.

What are the guidelines for Zone IT employees, contractors and temps if they experience symptoms and/or have concerns?

If you feel unwell and/or have concerns that you have the virus based on your recent travel, or due to the fact that you have come into contact with someone who has travelled to a high-risk area, we advise you to not come into the office. Please immediately connect with your manager to discuss your symptoms. They may also ask you to complete a Health declaration form. Next to this, follow the advice from the local health authorities, call the local non-emergency health line rather than going to your local doctor and try to avoid spreading the virus further. More information can be found here.

How do we facilitate Zone IT employees working from home?

Our people have a full suite of IT solutions to support their remote working and the continuation of services to our clients and candidates.

What is Zone IT's policy around temps working from home?

In essence you, our client’s, work from home policy applies – so we’ll need a copy of that plus ensure they have the right hardware to be able to do their job.  Ideally, we want to be able to support our temporary employees and contractors to remain working. We consider this low risk from a WHS perspective.

We have working from home safety guidelines and a home safety checklist that can be shared should you require them.

What steps are Zone IT taking to combat the virus?

Zone IT has adopted reasonable and proportionate actions consistent with Australian government advice that should be taken as precautionary measures to protect the health and wellbeing of the community. Our priority is the health and wellbeing of our workforce. Our proactive measures include taking proactive measures communicating hygiene practices to all staff members and is keeping a log of all international travel.

In addition, we have communicated hygiene practices to our working temporary employees and contractors. We will continue to update them over the coming weeks.

If required, we have further measures to update and support current working employees of Zone IT, however, are monitoring the situation daily and following government advice on the matter.