ILT set to lose staff as vaccine mandate introduced for all employees

Tuesday, 30 November 2021

The Invercargill Licensing Trust could potentially lose up to 50 staff after introducing a vaccination mandate for all staff.

ILT chief executive Chris Ramsay advised its close to 600 staff on Tuesday they would be required to have at least one vaccine jab by Friday and be fully vaccinated by January 17, or provide a valid exemption.

Ramsay said it has been a tough, thorough process to work through, but ultimately it was the only decision it was able to come to for the ILT to remain profitable, and most importantly to ensure the safety of the staff and community.

“It’s not an easy time for everyone, it’s people livelihoods it is affecting.”

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**

The Government’s traffic light Covid-19 framework will come into play at 11.59pm on Thursday night.

Invercargill will start under the orange light restrictions which meant people wanting to attend hospitality businesses would need to have a vaccination passport.

Businesses that did not want to introduce the vaccine certificate mandate would only be able to operate as a takeaway service.

However, those attending ILT bottle stores will not require vaccine certificates given those outlets have been deemed essential services.

About “seven or eight percent” of ILT staff were yet to be vaccinated, which equated to about 40 or 50 of the 600 staff.

Ramsay still had to have some conversations with affected staff to get a better understanding as to exactly how many staff they might now lose permanently. He acknowledged it could stretch their staffing resources heading into the busy Christmas period.

The ILT was one of many businesses that have had to grapple with the unique process of introducing a vaccine mandate for its staff.

PR Law director Mary Jane Thomas, who leads the firm’s employment practice, said business owners did not want to fire staff but found themselves having to let staff go.

Thomas urged businesses not to simply roll out the “no jab, no job” line because that in itself was not enough under employment law.

Businesses needed to put together a detailed risk assessment and go about a thorough consultation with staff before making a decision, otherwise, they could find themselves dealing with a personal grievance.

Thomas said an affected employee may claim they can carry out their job safely by wearing a mask, by working from somewhere else, or other sighting other avenues.

Meanwhile, Ramsay asked the public to be patient and understanding when, as of 11.59pm on Thursday, they would be asked to provide proof of vaccination at ILT venues.

“These aren’t our rules, these are the rules we’ve been told to follow if we want to keep our businesses open.”

ILT Stadium Southland general Nigel Skelt echoed Ramsay’s message.

From Friday anyone over 12 will have to show their vaccine certificate to gain entry to the stadium.

The stadium initially floated the idea of bringing in security staff to man the front door, which would have come at a cost of about $2500 per week.

Instead stadium management will take turns from 6am through to 9.30pm at the front door. Skelt said it would cut costs, but was also viewed as a passive and friendly approach to the mandate.

“We understand it is an incredibly challenging time for the community, but for us to operate at this level then it has non-negotiable. If we didn't embrace the vaccine mandate we’d have to close the venue.”

Skelt encouraged everyone to get vaccinated to help community sport, to attend events, and for your whanau.