What must happen for Aussie businesses to get back on track before Christmas
Requiring employee vaccinations isn’t a new thing and now, more than ever, it makes sense for both health and business reasons.
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A business recovery is in sight as Australia emerges from the worst of the pandemic, but the path back to normality has potholes and roadblocks.
Business owners and leaders are being urged to prepare for localised lockdowns, friction between states and more jabs, but there is confidence in a brighter future.
Business Australia CEO Daniel Hunter said there was optimism that once Australia reopened, business would bounce back strongly.
“Some industries will take longer than others, particularly those that rely on international travel, but generally there is a good feeling among business owners that the countdown to Christmas will be a good one, provided those cities in lockdown reopen shortly,” he said.
“The overseas model has shown that customers are loyal and will return to their favourite local business – but that doesn’t mean business owners can get complacent.
“They’ll have to work extra hard on their customer service because if the lockdowns have taught us anything, it’s that customers don’t mind searching alternate ways to find a product.”
Small Business Australia executive director Bill Lang said there would be tentative steps forward but businesses should not overcommit, “given how quickly things can revert to disaster mode”.
Recovery would vary by location, by industry “and by resources the business has available to still be operating when the customers come back”, Mr Lang said.
“For example, the WA and Queensland tourism industries will both continue to suffer for as long as international travel and visitors are locked out of the country, but more importantly as long as their state governments lock out the rest of Australia from visiting.”
Some states offered no certainty and little confidence to businesses, Mr Lang said.
He said government loan assistance such as the SME Recovery Loans Scheme was not being eagerly accessed because “business owners do not want to borrow money unless they are confident they can pay it back”.
A potential solution, Mr Lang said, was a similar approach to Britain with revenue-contingent loans that only needed to be repaid once a business’s revenue reached a certain level.
Overseas businesses in countries with higher vaccination rates than Australia are shutting down if three employees test positive, while other countries are opening up dramatically – including Norway which has dropped all restrictions despite only having 67 per cent of its people fully vaccinated.
Chris Maher, senior vaccine adviser to UNICEF Australia, said he could see workplace-based vaccination becoming more common.
“This makes a great deal of sense,” he said.
“Clearly for any business now, having a highly vaccinated workforce substantially reduces the risk that they might suffer major disruptions from Covid outbreaks.
“And it demonstrates good corporate responsibility towards the welfare of workers and their families.”
Mr Maher said requiring employee vaccinations was not a new thing.
“For example, the meat working industry has long had a requirement for Q fever vaccination for workers,” he said.
“I believe that it should be selective, but that in the right circumstances requiring vaccination is appropriate.”
A report released last month by the Business Council of Australia says there is “overwhelming evidence” of vaccination benefits.
“If we don’t prepare to bring the states and territories together and to re-join the rest of the world, we risk becoming isolated,” it says.
Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said lockdowns were originally intended to give Australia time to prepare to live with the virus, and could not go on forever.
“At 80 per cent fully vaccinated Australians should be free from domestic restrictions, with hospitality, retail and manufacturing back to 100 per cent capacity,” she said.
“The longer we delay planning to reopen and reunite, the bigger the risk to our international reputation as a good place to do business, invest, visit and create jobs.”
WHERE TO GET HELP
■ Sole traders and other self-employed people can consider federal government disaster payments of $750 a week – visit servicesaustralia.gov.au
■ Business owners can search their state’s business support website for details of grants and other Covid assistance.
■ “The information is not always up to date but it’s the most up to date information you can get,” Small Business Australia’s Bill Lang says.
■ People can also speak with their accountant or business coach, as national accounting bodies are keeping their members up to date.
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