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Changes to close contact isolation rules will alleviate acute staff shortages
20 Apr 2022 | Media Release
The further easing of close contact isolation rules for household contacts in NSW and Victoria will ease the crippling workforce shortages that are hampering business and risking our post-pandemic recovery.
“Dropping close contact isolation rules for all workers who receive a negative test result will be critical to alleviating the acute staff absenteeism across the economy,” ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar said.
“With more than one in five employers recording staff absences, this change will enable more employees to stay at work, ensuring businesses can keep their doors open and keep the economy moving.
“While the gradual easing of COVID-19 isolation requirements has acted as a partial release of the pressure valve, acute staff absenteeism has continued to place a significant burden on businesses, threatening to derail our economic recovery.
“Over the Easter weekend we saw that businesses were forced to close their doors or significantly reduce their operating capacity due to staff shortages, while their healthy workers remained in isolation at home, unable to work
“Ensuring that as many workers as possible can safely return to the workplace will be critical to relieving the labour and supply chain pressures that tens of thousands of businesses are confronting right now.
“The pressure is now on other state and territory governments to bring their isolation requirements in line with NSW and Victoria. Business cannot afford for close contact isolation requirements to be imposed any longer than is absolutely necessary