PREPARING FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

Along with the highs and hopes that tend to come with a new year, has also come the news of COVID-19 making its way out in the community again. This, coupled with the announcement of continuing travel restrictions, may have reignited concerns, or even anxiety, for some of your team. As uncertainty is likely to be our reality for some time to come, it would pay to prepare yourself with knowledge, information and strategies for supporting your team and yourself in months to come.  
 
Keep up-to-date, and maintain perspective

• Keep abreast of the news, but avoid media that sensationalises the situation. 

 
Inform yourself

• Take some time to check out our COVID-19 resources, which include helpful advice for supporting your team.
• Although we are not currently in lockdown, you might like to schedule in our weekly Mental Health Check-in as a team activity.
• Our blog Acceptance & Resilience in Times of Change shares some helpful ideas.

 
Protect yourself and others

• Be consistent about using the COVID Tracer app and encourage your team to do the same. Those who visited the same places as the recently reported Northland case were able to be quickly and easily identified and contacted if they had used the app.
• Maintain smart safety measures. Below are the steps that EAPworks’ practitioners take to protect themselves and your staff.

 
Seek support when you need it

• Don't hesitate to speak with us about the support we provide to managers through our Manager Assist service. You can see more about Manager Assist under the Services for Employers listed on our website.

 

WHAT IS EAPWORKS DOING?
Where appropriate, and in line with the restrictions of the alert level at any given time, we will meet with clients in-person, via phone or via video chat.
 
You can reassure your team that EAPworks maintain good infection prevention control procedures for face-to-face appointments, including:

• ​Hand hygiene (i.e., washing with soap and water or use of an alcohol-based disinfectant), coughing/sneezing into an elbow or using a tissue (which is then safely disposed of, followed by hand hygiene)
• Maintaining physical distancing of two metres at all times. Where this is not possible, wearing PPE (and after consultation removing safely, followed by hand hygiene)
• Performing hand hygiene prior to and at the conclusion of the appointment
• Disinfecting all surfaces prior to and at conclusion of the appointment
• Keeping accurate documentation, including names and times of all face-to-face appointments, for contact tracing purposes.

 
Prior to confirming a face-to-face appointment, clients will be asked if they have encountered COVID-19, have had any COVID-19 symptoms in the past 14 days, or have encountered anyone showing symptoms of the virus in the past 14 days. If the answer is yes, we will only provide the options of a video session or phone session.

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GET IN TOUCH
As always, EAPworks is here to support you and your team.

• To discuss how we can help, get in touch on 0800 SELF HELP (0800 735 343) or info@eapworks.co.nz.
• Appointments can also be booked online here. 

​Get the EAPworks app.