Government

Wage Subsidy Extension

This is available to the same types of employers as the original scheme, including contractors, sole traders and self-employed workers, and applications open on 10th June 2020.

To be eligible, a business must have experienced a minimum 50 per cent decline in actual or predicted revenue over the 30-day period immediately prior to the date applying for the subsidy (versus the nearest comparable period last year). There are other calculations for organisations where this is not possible (e.g., new businesses).

Businesses should re-apply through Work and Income once their 12-week subsidy has ended. The weekly rates will be the same as under the initial Wage Subsidy, and will provide an eight-week payment per named employee as a lump sum. It must be used to pay employees’ wages, and receiving it does not change existing employment law obligations.

For more information, visit workandincome.govt.nz/ covid-19/wage-subsidy-extension/index.html

Budget 2020: support for SMEs

$10 million has been allocated to provide grants and incentives to encourage e-commerce, train more digital advisors, and provide information and support for small businesses wishing to incorporate e-commerce into their business models.

This is supported by $12.5 million to progress the trans-Tasman e-invoicing scheme between New Zealand and Australia. This is designed to “make the business climate easier and fairer for small and medium enterprises during the recovery”.

Other support for small businesses from the the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) includes a $2.3 million investment to enable business.govt.nz to work with 200 partners to deliver tailored recovery guidance and advice to 600,000 small businesses. Resources will focus on how to:

Forecast and manage cash flow and adapt their businesses Obtain finance to meet needs now and for future growth Market their businesses here (especially tourism) and globally Adopt new digital technology, including e-commerce and productivity enhancing tools Deal with isolation and mental health issues

The 2020 Budget and the $50bn CRRF can be read in detail at beehive.govt.nz/feature/ budget-2020-rebuilding-together

Every effort has been made to ensure that information was correct at the time of publication. Please check business.govt.nz/covid-19 for the most up-to-date announcements.

Golden rules for business at Alert Level 2

Alert Level 2 is focused on “play it safe”. All businesses should follow seven basic rules:

Be open for business, if you can do so safely. Alternative ways of working are still encouraged where possible. Talk with your workers to identify risks and ways to manage them. Ask everyone – workers, contractors and customers – with cold or flu-like symptoms to stay away from your premises. Keep groups of customers at least one metre apart, or two metres for retail businesses. Keep contact-tracing records of anyone who will have close interaction (workers, contractors or customers). Retail businesses are not required to keep contact tracing records for customers. Reduce the number of shared surfaces, and regularly disinfect them. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands.

There are also additional guidelines for the retail and hospitality sectors.

These can all be read in full at business.govt.nz/covid-19/ workplace-operations-covid-19-alert-levels

Food Safety Information Bylaw 2020 Whakapai Kai 2020

Following a public consultation, this replaces the Food Safety Bylaw 2013. It has been drawn up to better protect public health from food-borne illness by clarifying the existing rules for the display of food grades (food safety information certificates).

Most Auckland restaurants, cafés and takeaways must display a food grade, and the bylaw states the preferred locations for these at the food business’ premises. These guidelines came into effect on 23rd May.

The second part of the bylaw has been deferred until 31st December (in recognition of the significant impact that COVID-19 has had on the hospitality sector). From this date, the food grade will also need to be displayed on any digital platforms that the business controls. This would include the company’s:

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