With COVID-19 cases on the rise around Australia we’ve been busy advising our members on a number of issues on the outbreak and how it is affecting petrol station owners.
This week, ServoPro member, Rhonda Brennan who owns the Caltex Busy Bee Service Station in Mudgee NSW was faced with the challenge of having one of her employees test positive for Covid-19.
Rhonda and her husband Ken have been in business for over 50 years and this has been one of the biggest challenges they have faced, having to temporarily close their business.
During my discussion with Rhonda it is clear that while this is a very difficult time for her and Ken, Rhonda is keeping a level head and going through the process needed in order to reopen their business.
The employee received a positive Covid test result on August 14th and to Rhonda’s credit, took immediate action in closing the business.
Rhonda said, “All staff are currently undergoing testing so they can return to work as soon as it is safe to do so. It will be challenging when we reopen, making sure we have enough staff to open the doors. We also notified customers that if they visited the shop after August 10th they should get tested”
Customers were advised of the situation via the business Facebook page which resulted in a lot of positive feedback and encouraging comments from customers who appreciated the clear communication.
Since Saturday night Rhonda had been busy working with suppliers to notify them that the business is temporarily closed. Since they can’t enter the shop premises at this time it has been difficult to manage deliveries and also perishable stock.
It is very important that if you do have a staff member test positive that you keep a level head and follow the process set out by NSW Health or your local state government.
Rhonda said, “Even though we notified NSW Health immediately of the situation, we still haven’t received advice from NSW Health as to whether we are allowed to conduct the deep clean or authorised personnel need to do this”
NSW Health is understandably very busy at the moment and we will be working with them to ensure our members receive clear guidance as to the best way to deal with these difficult situations.
If you need any help and advice regarding how COVID-19 is affecting your business, feel free to reach out for help.