Unite has asked all employers of our members in Christchurch to inform us about their plans for workers in the aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquake.
This is the response from Joanne Craughwell, Senior Human Resources Manager, Accor Hotels on the 24th February

We are communicating to all of our staff via a telecom e-text system and sending them ongoing updates of the situation and how we can assist them. I am manning an employee call line 24/7 and personally assisting with any employee questions.

Pay during enforced closedowns:

Most companies say they will continue to pay staff through the immediate period before issues of annual leave etc are raised. Please indicate your policy on this for the immediate future.

All staff were are paid up to date for the last week (effective 22nd February) and have been advised they will be paid as per average hours worked over the previous 5 weeks until further notice. This will happen as normal with no action required from staff and monies will go into there standard nominated bank account.

Safety of work premises:
What company sites or outlets are open or partially open and operating in Christchurch and surrounding areas?

Three of our Hotels, Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square, Ibis Christchurch and All Seasons Cashel Street are inside the civil defence cordon and thus are completely closed to any access. We await the authorities' guidance on any likely time of opening but envisage it may be at least 2 weeks.


We will wait until we receive an authorized structural engineers report and civil defence clearance prior to re-entering any of our hotels.


We do have partial access to the All Seasons Papanui Road property and are using this as command post for our displaced GM's and staff. This hotel has power and we have arranged porta-loos for the staff working from there. We have bottled water and food at the Hotel and are being generous for staff and their immediate families with the provisions we have. A number of staff are also being housed there due to the fact their own houses are inhabitable.

Reopening:

Where can we and our members access the latest information from the company on the reopening of premises?

All staff are being communicated to via the e-text system and are also aware they can safely drop in at All Seasons Papanui Road Hotel for updates.

Communication generally:

Where can we access information from your company most quickly for our members? Is there a central contact person? (We realize employers will be making their own contact arrangements with employees but we have begun fielding calls on a wide range of issues)

The All Seasons Papanui Road Hotel is manned 24/7 by Hotel General Managers and other senior hotel employees and are liaising with all staff whom come to the hotel. All staff have been made aware of this via e-text.


We are operating a further Crisis Management centre from our Regional office based in Auckland. All 4 hotel Christchurch Hotel phone lines have been diverted to this crisis centre and this is manned 24/7 to assist with staff and guests calling in to the hotels for information.


The best way for accessing information is for the staff members to ring the hotels main phone numbers, this is being diverted to the Crisis Management centre where we have the most up to date information.

Provision of EAP support to members:

Is there support available through your company to employees through things such as EAP services?

Yes we have full EAP support for all employees.