We are committed to doing everything we can to enable a safe working environment and prioritising the safety of our people. As part of this commitment, from 1 November 2021, we are implementing a new policy relating to vaccination against COVID-19 at Russell McVeagh which applies to everyone who visits our offices or attends firm events.
Our Board and partners strongly support vaccination as an important step to help New Zealand progress towards reducing the risk of COVID-19 in our communities and enabling all of us to live and operate in a safer, more open environment and economy.
We recently surveyed our people on an anonymous basis and with a high response rate (92% of our people), 98% intend to get fully vaccinated, and 98% have at least had their first dose (as at 5 October 2021). We carefully considered all feedback received as part of the survey results when preparing our COVID-19 Vaccination policy.
From 1 November 2021, only those people who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be able to come into our offices or attend firm events. This policy applies to both Auckland and Wellington offices.
Fundamental to our approach are our values, and that includes respecting an individual's freedom of choice regarding whether to get vaccinated or not. There are some in our firm and in the wider community who are currently uncertain about vaccination, do not wish to get vaccinated, or are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons. Therefore we want to encourage people to advise us of their vaccination status before they enter our offices, so we are able to proactively manage any potential risks for all concerned. In these circumstances, we will discuss through what our policy means and the right approach to take for the wellbeing of all involved.
This is new territory, and we acknowledge that our policy won't answer every possible scenario, but we believe it is the right path at the present time to keep our people safe at work. Navigating our way through COVID-19 in the workplace will require communication, trust and respect. We know there will continue to be disruption for all of us.
More on our COVID-19 response is available to view here.
Guidance on the legal and business implications of COVID-19
Please see our COVID-19 resources hub to help you navigate the legal and business implications of COVID-19.
Our firm has been providing pro bono legal advice to support the efforts against COVID-19 including:
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supporting a campaign being led by Auckland Airport called ‘Doing it for each other’, which you can read more here; and
- assisting Home Guard NZ, a non-profit group that seeks to collect, assist, and match health care staff to areas of need as the COVID-19 situation evolves. You can read more about this initiative here.