Employee FAQs
For queries not covered below, please contact our Healthy Bodies Hotline on 1300 694 057 (Australia) or 0508 694 467 (NZ)
28 April: See COVIDSafe Frequently Asked Questions
This Q&A will be updated as new information is available.
1. What action is Ventia taking in response to the coronavirus outbreak?
Ventia is committed to the health and safety of our people, clients and communities. We have a Crisis Management Plan in place and we have mobilised a Response Leadership Team, led by General Counsel Jonathan Dockney, supported by a group of cross functional and medical experts.
Our response is organised into five key workstreams:
- Supporting Worker Welfare – guidance, support and leave arrangements for our workers who are suspected or become infected or need to support loved ones
- Maintaining Client Services – business impact assessments and plans to keep providing our services to clients though this challenging time
- Continuity of Key Functions – business continuity plans and strategies to ensure our key functions including payroll, accounts payable, ICT and treasury can continue to operate and support our operations
- Communication & Feedback – proactive and reactive strategies to make sure our people, clients and business partners are informed of our plans and provide information needed to keep people safe and respond appropriately
- Business Continuity – financial modelling and scenario planning to help inform our Response Plan and support decisions by the ELT and Board
What are my rights and obligations as an employee in response to this pandemic?
- Adhere to the company-wide or site-specific requests for good hygiene standards to prevent the spread of the virus e.g. washing your hands, coughing into your elbow.
- Self-report if you meet any of the self-reporting criteria.
- If you have been issued a company laptop, ensure you take it and a power cable home each day, in case an unexpected situation arises that requires you to work from home.
- When working from home, save all documents on OneDrive – Ventia (if you have Windows 10) or a company drive that is backed-up by our servers.
What is regarded as good hygiene as a preventative measure against infection?
Good hygiene includes:
- Covering your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue
- Disposing of tissues properly
- Washing your hands often with soap and water, including before and after eating and after going to the toilet
- Using alcohol-based hand sanitisers
- Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces
- Adherence to physical distancing measures and avoiding close personal contact
Source: Australian Government Department of Health guidance
2. Self-reporting and self-isolation
When am I required to self-report?
Australian Government requirements
- You should contact GP for a referral if you develop symptoms within 14 days of returning from overseas or coming into contact with a confirmed case
- If you have been identified as someone who has had contact with a person with confirmed COVID-19 infection in Australia, the local public health unit will contact you with advice.
- International travellers are required to self-isolate for 14 days after they have arrived in Australia.
New Zealand Government requirements
- COVID-19 is a notifiable disease and is required to be reported to the local Medical Officer of Health on suspicion by phone and email.
- International travellers are required to self-isolate for 14 days after they have arrived in New Zealand.
Ventia requires all employees, subcontractors and workers to self-report if:
- They have a confirmed case of COVID-19
- They have a suspected case of COVID-19
Or they have:
- Recently returned from overseas
- Recent close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19
- Flu-like symptoms
- They plan to travel overseas in the forseeable future. (Australia and New Zealand currently have strict international travel restrictions in place)
This guidance may change if further government requirements are issued
If I self-report, where and how will the information linked to my personal information be shared?
Records of suspected cases are being maintained in a secure register and records of confirmed cases will be managed in our secure claims management system. The system is managed by Ventia’s SHEQ team. Information will be displayed using an employee number, rather than employee name and surname, in order to manage the privacy of any impacted or potentially impacted employee.
If I am required to self-isolate, what leave type do I select?
The applicable leave types for Australia and New Zealand will be confirmed shortly.
3. Flexible Work Arrangements
Under what circumstances may I work from home?
Your manager or office manager may advise of arrangements to ensure social distancing that include you working from home on a regular basis. If working from home is a viable option and you are authorised to do so, discuss working from home arrangements with your leader before taking any action.
What should I do if I meet the requirements of working from home but I do not have a company issued laptop?
For employees that do not have a company supplied laptop but have a company email address:
I am making use of my personal or household equipment and services, e.g. WIFI or personal phone or other home office equipment to perform my duties. Will the Company compensate me for my expense?
Both Australian and New Zealand tax law allows an employee to claim any personal expenses as it relates to working from home from their personal income tax return. If you think you will require written confirmation of your working from home arrangements as part of your tax return, you can request a letter from your Manager.
If for any reason you feel you will not be able to successfully claim your personal expense against your tax return, or have reason to make a direct claim, please speak to your Manager about what may be required to submit a personal expense claim in your particular circumstances.
I do not know how to use Microsoft Teams. Is there a “How to” guide?
Please visit our Microsoft Teams Hub on the intranet for useful hints, tips and user guide on how to use the Teams platform, including:
- Hosting and participating in audio and video meetings with people inside and outside the organisation
- Chatting and calling people
- Sharing files
- Collaborating on documents at the same time
https://ventia.sharepoint.com/functions/Pages/MS-Teams.aspx
4. Travel
I need to travel for work purposes. What is the company position on travel?
International Travel is banned.
Domestic travel for work is to be avoided unless strictly necessary and it relates to essential client meetings, work winning commitments or is directly related to fulfilling our requirements under client contracts. These trips will need to be approved by Tim Harwood or Richard Kelleway for our divisions, and the Functional ELT leads within Group functions.
I need to travel for personal purposes. What is the company position on personal travel?
Both Australian and New Zealand governments have imposed strict travel restrictions. The Australian Government has banned international travel while New Zealanders have been advised not to travel overseas. If you are exempt from these restrictions, you will still be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in either country. Ventia requires all employees, contractors and sub-contractors to self-report if they are planning to travel overseas.
