‘Confusion’: Why Twin Towns Clubs & Resorts Qld staff forced home immediately
About 70 Queensland staff at Twin Towns have now returned to work after confusion about stay at home requirements. WHAT HAPPENED >>>
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UPDATE 1PM THURS: Queensland staff at a club and resort in Tweed Heads have been allowed back at work today after a major backflip.
About 70 staff at Twin Towns Clubs & Resorts were ordered not to come to work on Wednesday over confusion about whether Queensland staff could cross the border to attend work in Tweed Heads, NSW.
Executive business manager Rod Pain said staff had returned to work today after the business received clarification late Wednesday night from the NSW Cross Border Commissioner.
“We’ve got our staff back on their original rosters and they will be paid for the hours they should have worked yesterday,” Mr Pain said.
He said he was “disappointed” the business was not able to get a clear message from the Queensland Health Covid hotline when it called about the matter yesterday.
“That’s where it failed for us – the information they provided (the hotline) gave us absolutely no comfort and sent us down the path of believing staff needed to go home.”
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It is understood Queensland staff from BIG W Tweed City were ordered not to come into work yesterday over similar confusion.
A BIG W spokeswoman said it had a number of team members who travel across the NSW-QLD borders between work and home.
“To reduce travel time as well as ongoing lockdown restrictions, we have offered those team members the option to change their shifts to work in a BIG W in their immediate area to prevent the need for crossing borders,” she said.
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said a change within NSW had sparked the business’ confusion, where NSW Health announced the 11 LGAs in Queensland as areas of concern.
She said resorts, hotels and clubs were not listed as businesses that must close.
“Therefore, they can remain open,” the spokeswoman said.
“People can go to work at businesses that remain open – we of course ask anyone who can work from home, to work from home.”
INITIAL STORY - 6PM WEDNESDAY: About 70 Queensland staff at a club and resort in Tweed Heads were ordered to go home immediately after the Sunshine State’s border “bubble” with NSW burst.
Twin Towns Clubs & Resorts executive business manager Rod Pain said its Queensland staff were sent home today because of a new Queensland Health directive issued at 5.30am.
“It was clarifying the essential reasons people could leave home in Queensland to go to work,” Mr Pain said.
“It didn’t include the purpose of going to work for a club.”
He said the directive came “without any real notice” and had a “massive impact” on the club, with 70 of its 200 staff now unable to work.
“We would rather the directive be clear,” Mr Pain said.
“There is a level of confusion there as to whether Queensland staff can or cannot come to work.”
He said staff were getting different advice when they called Queensland Health.
“We would rather keep all of our staff working,” the business manager said.
“It’s not ideal, but we’re making sure we comply with the directives.”
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said resorts, hotels and clubs were not listed as businesses that must close.
“Therefore, they can remain open,” she said.
“People can go to work at businesses that remain open – we of course ask anyone who can work from home, to work from home.”
Mr Pain said the club was helping any affected staff access their leave entitlements and Covid-19 disaster payments.
He said Twins Towns remained open, with some of its bars and food outlets closed because of the staffing shortages.
But the club has been dealt another blow, with a new NSW Health order causing a drop in customers.
The order requires any resident who has been in any of the 11 South East Queensland local government areas covered by the lockdown to stay at home for 14 days.
This means northern NSW residents, including those living in the Tweed region, cannot technically cross the border into Queensland for work, medical appointments or study without having to isolate.
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