The PSPLA has issued the following statement:

“We are accepting the situation in Tairawhiti and Hawkes Bay as well as other areas affected by flooding and slips as a reason for emergency appointments.

This means security businesses can bring staff on as soon as the new staff member has filed their application for a COA and they have sent in an application for an emergency appointment. It is usually approved within one working day.

They also need to make sure that the address for sending the badge to, that the applicant includes in their COA application, is one that mail is currently able to be delivered to – probably best to use the employers address in most cases.

If people still don’t have their badges at the end of the 2 week emergency appointment period they can either ask to extend it for a further 2 weeks or ask for us to issue an exemption certificate for them to carry until such time a their badge arrives in the mail.”

We appreciate the responsiveness of the PSPLA, and our Registrar, on this matter.

From the NZSA Team

We sincerely hope that all of you are not too badly affected by the current weather crisis.

Our thoughts go out to you and your staff, work colleagues and families. We hope that you are supporting them in as much as you can. However, some may need more urgent and complex assistance and we have provided the information below to assist in your support.

If we can help in any way please don’t hesitate to contact us on [email protected]. We also have some limited office space if you require a desk in the short term.

 

Understand disaster events

Disasters are upsetting experiences for everyone involved. The emotional toll that disaster brings can sometimes be even more devastating than the financial strains of damage and loss of home, business or personal property.

• Everyone who sees or experiences a disaster is affected by it in some way.
• It is normal to feel anxious about your own safety and that of your family and close friends.
• Profound sadness, grief and anger are normal reactions to an abnormal event.
• Acknowledging your feelings helps you recover.
• Focusing on your strengths and abilities helps you heal.
• Accepting help from community programs and resources is healthy.
• Everyone has different needs and different ways of coping.
• It is common to want to strike back at people who have caused great pain.

 

Recognise signs of disaster-related stress

When adults have the following signs, they might need crisis counselling or stress management assistance:

• Difficulty communicating thoughts.
• Difficulty sleeping.
• Difficulty maintaining balance in their lives.
• Low threshold of frustration.
• Increased use of drugs/alcohol.
• Limited attention span.
• Poor work performance.
• Headaches/stomach problems.
• Tunnel vision/muffled hearing.
• Colds or flu-like symptoms.
• Disorientation or confusion.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Reluctance to leave home.
• Depression, sadness.
• Feelings of hopelessness.
• Mood-swings and easy bouts of crying.
• Overwhelming guilt and self-doubt.
• Fear of crowds, strangers, or being alone.

 

Crisis phone numbers

• 1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.
• Anxiety New Zealand 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)
• org.nz 0800 111 757 or text 4202
• Lifeline 0800 543 354
• Mental Health Foundation 09 623 4812, click here to access its free resource and information service.
• Rural Support Trust 0800 787 254
• Samaritans 0800 726 666
• Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
• Yellow Brick Road 0800 732 825
• co.nz Web chat, email chat or free text 5626
• What’s Up 0800 942 8787 (for 5 to 18-year-olds). Phone counselling available Monday-Friday, noon-11pm and weekends, 3pm-11pm. Online chat is available 3pm-10pm daily.
• Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email [email protected], or find online chat and other support options here.
• If it is an emergency, click here to find the number for your local crisis assessment team.
• In a life-threatening situation, call 111.

 

The NZSA team.

We are pleased to announce that the NZSA and MSD have entered into a new contract under the SFI (Skills for Industry) programme that targets the placement of candidates into full-time employment as Junior (Entry Level) Security Technicians.

The contract is for a five month trial and will cover all regions, however it is restricted to NZSA Members only.

Under the contract the NZSA will provide our members with candidates in the 18 to 24 age group. The candidates will have been screened to ensure that they should be able to obtain a CoA (i.e have declared that no material criminal convictions etc) and that they have demonstrated employable skills and attitudes. There is no obligation on our members to employ any candidate whom they interview.

If a member does offer the candidate full-time employment (being 30+ hours per week) we will supply and pay for the following:

• CoA application
• Enrolment in the Foundation Training Programme for Entry Level Security Technicians
• A tool kit and full range of tools
• A laptop
• Safety boots

The obligations on the member employer are:

• To offer full-time employment
• To support the candidate in undertaking and completing the Foundation Training Programme
• Subject to satisfactory completion of the Foundation Training Programme and work performance, to enrol the candidate into the Level 3 NZCiES qualification within three months of their completing the Foundation Training.

If you wish to register your interest in participating in the programme can you please email our CEO, Gary Morrison, including your company name, the person within your organisation to contact, and a brief description of the vacancy and any specific requirements you may have for the role. Gary will make contact with you to discuss any potential candidates that we identify.

Please feel free to contact Gary on [email protected] with your details and any questions you may have.

From the NZSA Team

We hope you are all doing well, especially those who may have been affected by the recent flooding. We wanted to share some information with you that maybe of assistance to you and your team. The below links hold some helpful information regarding staffing issues and disaster response. Employment NZ – employment during and after disasters MBIE – extreme weather: information for businesses  Civil Defence Message from Inland Revenue “While the recent flooding in the North Island has not been declared an adverse event yet, we are aware many customers will have been affected by the event and may need assistance to comply with their tax obligations, including filing and paying on time. This includes upcoming GST, Employer filing and Income tax. If you or any of your members are affected, please know that you are not required to contact us at this time. However, if you want to get in touch, we are prioritising our support to our affected customers. Please send us a web message via your myIR login or call us on 0800 473 566. Further information will be updated online in the coming days.” If we can be of any assistance, please contact us and we will do our best to help: [email protected] We also remind our members that they can utilise our free HR Advisory service for guidance and support if dealing with priority matters. Please refer to our website for more information. Keep safe, From the NZSA team