The government has announced an Apprenticeship Support Programme targeted at initiatives that will help employers to retain and bring on new apprentices. This follows on from another announcement earlier this month that provides a 100% fee subsidy for qualifying vocational education programmes, including the electrical engineering and electronic sector.

These programmes will provide benefit to those security providers who have existing apprentices or are looking to employ new apprentices, and in particular the Apprentice Boost Initiative which will provide employers with support payments of up to $12,000 per first year apprentice and $6,000 per second year apprentice.

It is important to note however that whilst these programmes have been announced, the supporting documentation has yet to be provided and we understand that the funding will not be available until July for the Fee’s Free Initiative and August for the Apprenticeship Boost Initiative.

The NZSA will issue further guidance on qualifying for and accessing these initiatives as soon as the information becomes available.

From the NZSA team.

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Good Practice Guidelines for Security Services in New Zealand.

On the 18th November 2011 Security Officer Charanpreet Singh Dhaliwal commenced employment with CNE Security and was assigned to work at a construction site in Henderson. Tragically he was not to return home from his first night at his new job.

During the evening four offenders entered the site. Mr Dhaliwal confronted them and one of the offenders picked up a piece of wood and struck Mr Dhaliwal at least twice to the head. The cause of death was attributed to blunt force trauma.

The Coroner’s investigation into the death identified a number of industry issues around licensing and training and also highlighted the need for an industry-wide Code of Practice or Guideline as to what constitutes good practice. Whilst the licensing and training recommendations were implemented with some expediency, the development of the Guidelines was unfortunately deemed to be of low priority by WorkSafe (the agency tasked with development by the Coroner) and was never progressed.

Several years ago the NZSA and E tu raised this matter with WorkSafe but were advised that other industry sectors were of a higher priority and development of guidelines remained unlikely.

At this time the NZSA took ownership of the project and through the collaborative efforts of a number of security providers, the NZSA Board and E tu produced the document which is now available for all industry.

The NZSA is pleased to have led the development of this “across industry” guideline and to have provided a document that sets clear guidance for security operators, security workers and industry customers on what constitutes good practice for health and safety and operational compliance. We have received extremely positive feedback on the guidance from a range of stakeholders including our licensing authority, the PSPLA, who will refer all new company licence applications to the document, government agencies and a number of industry customers who have indicated they will build compliance with the guidance into their service contracts.

The NZSA furthermore dedicates the guideline document to Mr Dhaliwal, his family, and all other security officers who have suffered serious harm whilst performing their duties. It is our belief that this document will help in ensuring the improved health and safety of those working in the industry currently and in the future.

To download a copy of the Security Industry Good Practice Guideline please see the NZSA website.

From the NZSA team.

We are pleased to announce the launch of the NZSA Speak Up Line.

The NZSA Speak Up Line is free to members and provides access to a confidential service where staff can report issues such as bullying, sexual harassment, poor employment conditions, illegal practices such as theft or drug dealing and other matters of concern that may be occurring in the workplace and not being reported.

 

Phone reports – 0800 775 775

Online reports – website

 

The NZSA will provide posters, business-sized cards to go into wallets, stickers and introductory letters for your staff. They are designed for members to include their own corporate branding prior to distribution.

The service is particularly valuable where employees may be reluctant to speak up or report matters due to fears that by doing so it may affect their employment or risk further victimisation.

It is also important to note that such services meet Government Procurement requirements around providing a voice for staff.

This service is provided by Crimestoppers who obviously have considerable experience in handling sensitive calls in a confidential manner. They log the calls or online reports and forward to the NZSA for further investigation if required. The staff member can remain anonymous if they wish to do so.

Register for the NZSA Speak Up Line by emailing [email protected]. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

From the NZSA team.

With the Covid-19 virus nearly extinguished from our shores New Zealand businesses need to be careful they are not exposed to another nasty threat – cyber intrustions.

Most kiwi businesses had to rapidly redeploy staff to work from home and many have drawn on quickly acquired IT services to accommodate this move. These actions can potentially expose businesses to cyber threats through inappropriate data handling, the use of unsecured devices and a lack of governance with data services.

Matthew Evetts, the Chief Technology Officer for the Optic Security Group and GM of Optic Digital, a division of the group, will join Gary Morrison, CEO of the NZSA, and our moderator Grant Whitehouse, to provide NZSA and ASIS members with actionable information on how you can ensure that your, and your clients data, can be kept secure in our new normal.

This one-hour webinar will cover the following areas:
– Security PCs and company data on personal devices
– Methods for secure remote access to files and systems
– Phishing and user awareness training
– How to keep IoT (Internet of Things) data secure
– Maintenance best practices

Attendees will be able to ask Matthew their questions during the webinar.

Save the date in your calendar now and keep your security business secure, click here to add to your calendar.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82213787840?pwd=Q1hBcnhnc08vU0pod1lKaUhhWU5pQT09

Meeting ID:  822 1378 7840
Password:   147046

For more information about upcoming webinars please see our website.

From the NZSA team.

The government has recently announced further changes to the Wage Subsidy Scheme and Extension as well as introducing small business cashflow loans and tax support measures.

We have provided a brief summary below but advise those members who have been severely impacted by Covid-19 to seek specialist advice on the assistance measures available.

 

Wage Subsidy Scheme

A Wage Subsidy Extension payment will be available to support employers who are still significantly impacted by Covid-19 after the Wage Subsidy ends. The Wage Subsidy Extension will be available from 10 June 2020 until 1 September 2020. Eligible employers will need to reapply through Work and Income once their current 12-week subsidy has come to an end.

The weekly rates will be the same as under the current Wage Subsidy, and the Extension will provide an 8-week payment per named employee as a lump sum. The Wage Subsidy Extension must be used to pay employees’ wages and receiving it does not change existing employment law obligations.

The Wage Subsidy Extension will be open to the same types of employers currently eligible for the wage subsidy. For the Wage Subsidy Extension, an employer must have experienced a revenue loss of at least 40% in a 30-day period in the 40 days immediately before the employer applies for the extension, compared to the closest period last year. There are different calculations for organisations where this is not possible such as new businesses or pre-revenue firms. For more information see Work and Income.

 

Small Business Cashflow Scheme (SBCS) Loan

Applications are now open for the Small Business Cashflow (Loan) Scheme (SBCS) – a one-off loan to small to medium businesses impacted by Covid-19.

The SBCS is for businesses with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, including sole traders and those that are self-employed. In most cases, eligible businesses will be entitled to a loan amount of $10,000 plus $1,800 per full-time equivalent employee, to a maximum of $100,000.

The eligibility criteria is the same as for the Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) and you can apply even if you haven’t applied for the WSS. Please note you’ll have to declare you’re a viable business, use the money for core business operating costs and enter into a legally binding loan contract.

We recommend you talk to your financial advisor before applying.

The only way to apply is in myIR under ‘I want to’ and applications are open until 12 June 2020. Funds will be paid directly into your bank account within five working days once approved.

You must be legally allowed to borrow money for your entity to be able to apply for the SBCS loan. Please note your tax agent cannot apply on your behalf.

For more details on how the scheme will work, eligibility criteria and a calculator to determine the loan amount that can be borrowed, see the IRD website.

 

Temporary Loss Carry-back

Businesses expecting to make a loss in either the 2019-20 income year or the 2020-21 income year can use that loss to offset profits they made the year before. In other words, they can carry the loss back one year to the preceding income year. This can be done before the loss year return is filed.

There are two ways to claim your loss carrry-back:
– Include the carried-back loss in your tax return – the IRD will automatically refund any overpaid tax.
– Ask for a refund of any provisional tax you have paid for 2019-20 if you are going to carry back a loss from 2020-21.

The IRD can refund some or all of the tax already paid for the preceding year before the loss year has finished by enabling customers to estimate their loss.

If you choose to use the loss carry-back scheme you must first elect to participate in the scheme under the ‘I want to’ section of myIR. Refunds will be processed quicker for claims made through myIR.

Note: You do no need to have filed the loss year return to claim the loss carry-back.

For more information, how to claim and implications for shareholder employees see the IRD website.

 

Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures

The recent Covid-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Act 2020 included the following income tax changes:

Depreciation deductions have been reinstated for non-residential buildings from the 2020-21 income year.

The threshold for claiming a deduction for the full cost of a low-value business asset in the year it was purchased increases from $500 to $5,000 for assets purchased in the period 17 March 2020 to 26 March 2021. For any assets purchased from 17 March 2021 the threshold reduces from $5,000 to $1,000. Depreciation is still available for business assets over those values.

The residual income tax threshold at which provisional tax becomes payable increases from $2,500 to $5,000 for the 2020-21 and later income years.

The application date for the broader refundability rules for R&D tax credits is brought forward.

For a detailed explanation, a special report on Covid-19 tax legislation is available at the IRD website.

From the NZSA team.

Congratulations to our final Covid-19 Guardian Award winner:

KEISHA RIHARI

Keisha has been recognised for her outstanding work in diffusing a potentially dangerous situation in a Northland bank.

Just after the opening of a bank in Kaitaia a customer entered in an agitated state. Keisha spotted that they had a knife hidden on the inside of their arm. Keisha calmly encouraged the customer to put the knife away and de-escalated the situation to a point where it was safe for a bank worker to address the customer’s issue. Keisha remained with the bank worker while they gave the customer what they needed then ensured that they left the property. The Senior Security Operations Manager for the bank was notified, as is the protocol, and contact FIRST Security to pass on their thanks for Keisha’s quick thinking and actions.

Scott La Franchie, FIRST Security Guard Services’ GM Marketing & Product said of Keisha: “Keisha Rihari was working with another security team who has been a true team player by helping out our FIRST Security Guards team and their customers during the Covid-19 lock-down. We are very proud of her actions during this incident by applying her training and experience to de-escalate a dangerous situation and ensuring the staff at the bank felt safe. She is a great staff member, always positive and is an exceptional security officer”.

The NZSA introduced the Covid-19 Guardian Award as a way in which the wider community can recognise and say thanks to security personnel for their efforts.

Help us get the word out about Keisha’s great work by sharing our Facebook and LinkedIn posts.

Thank your for all your nominations, there have been some outstanding examples of Covid-19 Guardians.

We have taken the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the efforts of our workers and in particular, those who have gone above and beyond all expectations. Be it acting with kindness, stepping in to keep people safe, helping the community or even just giving a big warm smile, their efforts have been appreciated.

Stay safe and keep well.

From the NZSA team.

We are pleased to announce that nominations for the 2020 New Zealand Security Awards are now open.

For further information about the Awards event, nomination criteria and the nomination form please see the events page on our website.

Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 10 July 2020. Please note that all nominations must be registered on the NZSA website. Any nominations received via direct email, or after the closing date, will not be accepted.

We look forward to receiving your nominations and good luck to all the nominees.

The NZSA team.

Congratulations to our Covid-19 Guardian Award winner:

ANTON KRITZINGER

Anton will receive his award for his actions in diffusing a potentially dangerous situation on an Auckland bus during Covid-19 Level 4 lock-down. The nomination from his employer Armourguard highlighted how good training and a calm demeanour are essential for security guards undertaking their work.

Allen McKinley, Amourguard’s Operations Controller said “Anton’s leadership and attention to safety has been exemplary. He has set a new level of professionalism with his selflessness and care of others that instils confidence within his peers. His actions and maturity set a high benchmark for our Guards Division”.

The nomination included this summary of the situation:

“Anton’s selfless actions protected a bus driver from a violent male member of the public. Both ATOC and GO Bus complimented Anton on his efforts to try and calm down the individual concerned, and to deescalate the situation. When Anton realised the male was likely to harm the driver he stepped forward and placed himself between the aggressor and the driver to act as a shield. The aggressor then spat at Anton, but he did not think of himself and controlled the male and the situation until police arrived on site. Even though we were high on Covid-19 alert, Anton did not think of himself, only the safety of the driver and maintaining his professional approach. After the incident was resolved, Anton contacted Healthline and was thankfully cleared to return to work. The incident was also acknowledged by AT Chief Executive Shane Allison”.

The NZSA introduced the Covid-19 Guardian Award as a way in which the wider community can recognise and say thanks to security personnel for their efforts.

Nominations for the Covid-19 Guardian Award can be submitted via the NZSA website. The nomination process is easy to complete online and will only take a few minutes.

We need you to help us with this initiative, not only with submitting nominations but more importantly, in helping us to communicate the award to the wider community. We have provided a template communication you can use to forward to your customers, suppliers and staff, to post on your social media pages or local community pages, and ask that you share the NZSA’s Facebook and LinkedIn posts with your contacts.

We want to take the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the efforts of our workers and in particular, those who have gone above and beyond all expectations. Be it acting with kindness, stepping in to keep people safe, helping the community or even just giving a big warm smile, their efforts have been appreciated.

This is a great chance for us as an industry to promote the outstanding work that our people perform each and every day, so we would really welcome your support in helping us get the message out there.

Stay safe and keep well.

From the NZSA team.