New Zealand business could suffer from incorrect reports about the state of Christchurch following Saturday's earthquake, the Employers' Chamber of Commerce says.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday afternoon, Christchurch Employers' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend said he was concerned about the way the disaster was being perceived offshore.
"I had an interview with a Perth radio station this afternoon and their first question was 'what are you going to do now your central city has been obliterated?' We need to make sure we are getting the right message out to, particularly, our friends in Australia," Mr Townsend said.
"It's really, really important that we don't give this perception that it's all over in Christchurch, because we know it isn't."
Mr Townsend said a number of businesses had sought advice from the chamber following the quake, and that some basic information for the next 48 hours had been posted on its website.
"Already we are hearing of serious issues with respect to cashflow," he said.
"Many small businesses use the money they earn in a week to pay the wages of their employees, and if they're not earning it, it won't be paid. That has already become a critical issue."
Businesses had also raised questions about accessing their properties.
"We know about the central city, but further out there's a lot of uncertainty about whether they can go into their place of work."
Mr Townsend said for properties which were yet to be inspected for damage, owners had to make the judgment themselves.
Another issue was relationships with employees. "The employer responsibilities to their employees, do they have to pay their employees if they can't get access to their place of work, what sort of obligations are there on employers?" he said.
"We're working through that on a case-by-case basis, it's certainly not a clear-cut issue."
Mr Townsend also urged employers to take their workers' wellbeing into consideration.
"The post-trauma for people as they work through this crisis is a significant issue, and you'll find people that are coming back to work suddenly they just can't handle it.
"They are traumatised and employers have a responsibility to ensure that they are well looked after."
NZPA
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