Several organisations, most notably the Auckland DHB, have expressed worries about letting staff travel to Australia once the Trans-Tasman bubble opens on April 19.
This is amid various risks regarding the opening up of quarantine-free international travel, including the inapplicability of travel insurance for government-imposed lockdowns and related actions.
According to a report by Radio NZ, the Auckland DHB has said it will not approve business travel, save for critical reasons, for its staff to Australia. It also “strongly discourages” staff from flying to Australia for leisure. The board said that it was taking a “cautious approach” to travel.
However, the trade union Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) criticised the Auckland DHB’s move.
“If the Director-General and the Prime Minister say that it's okay, then we think that's a good enough reason for someone to be able to cross the Tasman for a team meeting or professional learning and development,” said Sarah Dalton, ASMS executive director.
According to the report, several other organisations have expressed reservations about the bubble.
Meridian Energy said it does not recommend work-related travel to Australia unless it is essential and that it will not require staff to go on business trips if they were uncomfortable with it.
Auckland Council and AUT said it was too early to know whether travel would be safe, while Vodafone said “conversations are under way” regarding its stance on the matter.
Meanwhile, Spark said its employees must consider the risks associated with travelling, just like in the past before the pandemic, and that business-related travel to Australia will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
