01 – Useful things to know and do in the COVID environment
During these times of social distancing and upheaval, it’s more vital than ever that employers and job seekers stay connected, because there is still work out there and workplaces are adapting.
We want to keep you up to date with what we know, what we’re seeing and what we’re doing.
We also want you to know that you’re not alone. Although we have to stay apart, we can stay connected as we work through this together.
In this first update, you’ll find:
Where the jobs are
What’s concerning people and where to go for more information and support
How employers and job seekers are adapting
What we’re doing at Spinifex
Where are the jobs?
There are opportunities to work out there. It may not be what you want or are used to doing, but it will keep you and Australia going.
Shift will happen but, right now, we are seeing some jobs in the following sectors, particularly those that can be done from home, outdoors or in large workspaces.
Agribusiness
Construction
Food services – pickup, takeaway and home delivery
Supermarkets and grocery/convenience stores
Food markets
Delivery services
Shopping services
Electricity, gas, water and waste services
Financial and banking services
Information media and telecommunications
Infrastructure
Service maintenance
Healthcare and social assistance
Hospitals and medical clinics
Pharmacies
Medical Technologies
Pharmaceuticals
Aged care
Food Banks
Manufacturing
Mining
Professional, scientific and technical services
Public administration and safety
Renewable projects
Service sector
Call centres
Digital services
Tele services
Transport, postal and warehousing
Freight and logistics
Distribution centres and warehouses
Petrol Stations
Postal
What’s concerning people and where to go for more information and support?
Over the past few weeks we have been speaking with clients, keeping up to date with colleagues in our industry and regularly checking government information sources.
The biggest concern for everyone is that there’s a lot we don’t know yet … and what we do know may change.Here are some of the things we have learned which might be of use to you.
Who is an essential worker?
As the Prime Minister said at his press conference on 24 March: “Someone that has a job. Everyone who has a job in this economy is an essential worker. Every single job that is being done in our economy with these severe restrictions … is essential.”
What can I do?
First and foremost, look after yourself and your family. Make sure you’re sticking to the ‘new normal’ health standards.
If you can work, work. It’s so important that we all have a purpose during these times. If you can’t work, your job is to stay well.
Make sure you use trusted sources for information, like these:
For all Australians, the latest Coronavirus news, updates and advice from government agencies across Australia https://www.australia.gov.au
Humans are resilient creatures and we are already adapting.
While we can’t ignore the confronting images of normally hard-working Aussies from hospitality, travel & other face-to-face roles standing in queues at Centrelink there are also positive stories of businesses adapting:
Many people are finding a way to work remotely, using tools such as
Zoom and Skype to do video calls each morning so they can face day-to-day challenges united
Yammer to keep in touch throughout the day
Dropbox, Monday.com and Microsoft Teams to share files and collaborate Microsoft Teams
Mining, Construction and Manufacturing workers are quickly adapting to small, spaced out meetings
Oliver Sheer and his team from Be Challenged https://bechallenged.com.au have hacked their business model to enable them to keep the team working online and they are offering a FREE trial version for any business that wants it.
If you are adapting or know of others hacking ways of working, please share with us and we’ll spread the word to help others.
What we are doing at Spinifex
“I am inspired by and proud of our team. Everyone, without exception, has stepped up. We all understand that we must keep working if we can and we must look out for one another.” Scott C Small, MD
Our first priority is to keep our employees and clients safe.
After that, all our time and energy will continue to be put into placing people in jobs.
That’s what we do.
Ways we’re adapting:
Increasing standards of health and hygiene in the office in line with advice from the government and World Health Organisation
Ramping up use of video meetings to keep our 50 staff across nine locations in NSW and the ACT working
Increasing the frequency of our meetings to keep everyone on the same page, such as daily start up meets and end-of-day catchups
Making sure we regularly check in on our own mental health
Travel is limited to only essentials, so we maintain regular contact with clients and colleagues by phone and video
Whatever needs to be done, we do
We’re very conscious that there’s a lot of people feeling pain right now. Business owners who have had to shut up shop. Workers who have lost their jobs. This is outside of their control. It is not about failure. Their lost work is a sacrifice for everyone and we must acknowledge and remember that.
But right now, we must all be bold and strong to get through this, and we will get through it.
