Napier CAB responds to red traffic light inquiries

Napier CAB manager Jenny Pearce.

Clients have continued to come to the Napier Citizens Advice Bureau to find information and get advice. Clients access our free service face-to-face or through our 0800 number, email, live online chat function, and our website. Our confidential, non-judgmental advice service is available to anyone who needs it and we are able to help in a number of languages.

During the red traffic light level not all CABs are open face to face. CAB Napier is currently closed to face to face interactions but we are still here and working harder than ever to answer local and national calls.

Summary of key issues

Our national office has collated inquiries received across the country and find clients continue to access the service across the usual range of inquiries, but in addition to these around 10 per cent of our inquiries relate specifically to issues arising due to Covid-19 illness and restrictions. Some of the most common issues raised in relation to Covid-19 relate to employment terms and conditions, relationships and navigating conflicting views, implementation and impact of Covid-19 restrictions, and consumer rights clarification.

Our service is experiencing the impact of Covid19 on community resilience with an increasing number of aggressive and frustrated clients. Sometimes this is related to the safety requirements CABs have in place affecting ways to access the CAB service, other times it's frustration about an inability to access other services and, at times, it is because the misinformation the client would like clarified cannot be verified. The summary below provides an overview of some of the key issues and common questions we are helping clients with.

Employment issues

Some of the common employment concerns include being required to work alongside non-vaccinated colleagues, change of shift work to accommodate split shifts, using rapid antigen tests, and support entitlements due to Covid-19 related financial stress for both employers and for those employees who no longer have employment or are working reduced hours.

Common questions

• If I do not receive my booster, can my healthcare employer dismiss me from my job?

• Who can check if my employer can really justify requiring me to be vaccinated?

• Can my employer say I have to comply with the vaccine mandate if I can work from home?

• I worked from home during lockdown, why can't I work from home now?

• Am I required to give an electronic copy of my vaccine pass to my employer?

• Am I required to use my annual leave or sick leave for:

- the four weeks' notice period as I did not get vaccinated?

- while waiting for Covid test results?

- when required to isolate due to Covid-19 infection or being a close contact?

• I am exempt from using a face mask but my employers will not take this as being true and insist that I wear one at work. What can I do?

Caregiver conflict over child vaccinations

Relationship issues that clients are facing often involve conflict between caregivers regarding children being vaccinated.

Common questions

• What can my partner do if I get my children vaccinated even though I know my partner does not want this to happen?

• How can I protect my children from Covid-19 when I share custody with my ex-partner who is not vaccinated?

• My child wants to be vaccinated but my partner will not agree to this. What can we do?

• How can I stop my children's other parent from vaccinating our children?

Experience of Covid-19 traffic light restrictions

Some clients are wanting to clarify the conditions for implementing Covid-19 restrictions. These are to do with running events, clubs, and businesses. Clients are seeking clarification around the allowable number of participants, mask wearing guidelines and which rules relate to their particular activity. We've also been getting inquiries from clients who are unvaccinated who want to understand how they can access services when unvaccinated, this includes services like JPs, court services, food banks, driver licence test, etc.

Common questions

• Can tradespeople and landlords come on to property under the red light?

• What can I do about businesses, like hairdressers and restaurants for example, that are not checking vaccine passes or providing contact tracing?

• How can we get a food parcel when we are self-isolating?

• How can you access services when unvaccinated, eg JPs, courts, hair dressers?

• Is it possible to do a driving test if you are unvaccinated?

• Are vaccines mandatory?

Thank you to CAB volunteers

Napier CAB would like to acknowledge the work of CAB staff and volunteers experiencing an increase in stressed clients and frequently shifting information during uncertain times.

■ Anyone needing advice can contact the Napier Citizens Advice Bureau in Bower House, Bower Street, Monday to Friday 9am-4pm. Call us on 06 835 9664 or 0800 367 222. Alternatively, you can email on napier@cab.org.nz. Confidentiality is assured.