Premier
- (a) How many staff members in each department (excluding employees of the Health and Education departments) have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020, (b) how many of these employees (i) have succumbed to COVID-19 and (ii) have yet to return to work due to COVID-19 and/or its complications, (c) what counselling programmes have been put in place for the affected employees and (d) how many employees have made use of these programmes in the last six months;
- whether the departments are making use of outside experts, such as psychologists; if not; why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether a policy is in place to deal with working from home during the pandemic; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether all the employees have been consulted about such a policy; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
1)(a) Since 29 March 2020 a total of 976 WCG employees (excluding the WCED and DOH) have tested positive for COVID-19.
(b)(i) As at 22 January 2021 a total of 12 WCG employees (excluding the WCED and DOH) have succumbed to COVID-19.
(ii) As at 22 January 2021 a total of 191 WCG employees (excluding the WCED and DOH) are actively COVID-19 positive and have yet to return to work.
(c) The programmes offered through the Employee Health and Wellness programme are:
- Counselling – for employees and immediate family members
- Trauma debriefing – for teams
- Team support – debriefings
- Managerial support – for managers and supervisors
- Hello doctor – employees to interact with an online medical doctor
(d) During the period July 2020 to December 2020 a total of 281 individual cases were
opened and supportive counselling was provided. Of these, 35 were non-WCED and
non-DOH employees.
(2) The Employee Health and Wellness Programme is outsourced to Metropolitan Health as a service provider. As part of this service, counselling and managerial support are provided by qualified professionals including psychologists and medical doctors.
(3) In terms of regulation 51 of the Public Service Regulations, the relevant Head of Department must determine the departmental work arrangements policy.
The transversal WCG Work Arrangements Guide provides guidance to Heads of Department to develop a departmental Work Arrangements Policy which also addresses a work from home arrangement.
(4) The transversal WCG Work Arrangements Guide has been presented to labour, however the respective departmental work arrangements policies will be consulted with labour in the relevant departmental Institutional Management and Labour Committee.
