Chamber gearing up business for reopening

As the 20 November quickly approaches, the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce is working closely with the government to help employers and employees prepare for reopening and safely coexisting with Covid-19.

Its new free webinar series, Ready 4 Business, launched last Friday, it began with a session on supporting employees in times of uncertainty. The webinars will be facilitated by public and private sector experts on their respective topics. Each webinar will take place via Zoom and offer the opportunity for attendees to submit questions to the speaker. There will be a series of five webinars and each will run for an hour. They are free to attend and open to all, although registration is required.

Mike Gibbs, President of the Chamber of Commerce, said: “As we approach the next phase of the Government’s five phase reopening plan, it’s important that our business community is prepared to coexist with Covid-19. We understand that there is still much uncertainty and much to be done before we reopen on the 20 November. That is why we are working closely with the Government to deliver this webinar series, and offer guidance to businesses and the wider community as we adjust to our new normal. It is imperative that we all work together to keep our community as safe as possible.”

Premier Wayne Panton said: "We are looking forward to the 20 November as I believe are those who wish to visit us and enjoy our world class hospitality as well as our own citizens and residents who will have the opportunity to travel more freely. This will no doubt be the start of the rebooting of our tourism economy and will be welcomed by all who work in and serve that industry. We are confident that with the fantastic uptake of the vaccine and the proper practicing of the health protocols including social distancing, mask wearing and hand sanitising, this can be accomplished safely with risks minimised."

Last Friday’s webinar dealt with how to cope with the road to recovery and the changes it will bring, including some level of community and workplace anxiety as we learn to live with outbreaks and the spread of Covid-19. For some businesses, this will require adjustments for people working from home and overcoming the barriers and embracing the change in work practices. Dympna Carten, Community Psychiatric Nurse with the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, led this first presentation and she was joined by Shannon Seymour, Director, The Wellness Centre.

On Tuesday 16 November at 3pm, the next webinar focussed on best practices and protocols for Covid-19 safety in the work-place, addressing the health and safety practices and protocols that employers in the service and office sectors will be required to implement based on best practices and procedures as approved by the Public Health authorities.

It took an in-depth look at the protocols that will be required if an individual in a business tests positive for Covid-19 so that businesses could continue to operate safely without disruption. It provided the sanitary procedures that all organisations should introduce to keep their employees and customers safe. A detailed protocol guide was shared during the presentation.

Upcoming webinars include the following topics:

Best practices and protocols for COVID-19 Safety in the workplace

There will be two, one-hour webinars split into Tourism and Office, Service & Retail.

This session will address the health and safety practices and protocols that employers in these different sectors will be required to implement, based on procedures as approved by the Public Health authorities.

- Tourism on Tuesday 16 November 3pm

- Office, Service & Retail on Wednesday 17 November 10am

Cliff Robinson, Environmental Health Specialist at Public Health and Timothy McLaughlin and Therese Perhay from Public Health, will be leading the Office, Service and Tourism presentation on Wednesday 17 November at 10am.

Employers guide to human resources - Thursday 18 November, 10am

Human resources considerations are one of the most challenging issues facing employers as we prepare to reopen our borders and learn to live with the spread of Covid-19 in our community and in the workplace. Employers have many questions that need clarification; this webinar will deliver current legal understanding of the Labour Act.

Wesley Howell, Chief Officer at the Ministry of Border Control & Labour, Loval Linwood, Deputy Director of the Department of Labour & Pensions and Sian Pairaudeau Deputy Director at WORC (or representative).

Employers guide to applying for Government assistance – Date TBC

This webinar will provide employers with information about how to apply for loans and grants under the Government assistance programmes. It will also answer questions about government fees, exemptions and any other kind of assistance available to businesses or employees, including retraining opportunities.

For more information about the webinars, and to register, visit: https://www.caymanchamber.ky/chamber-ready-4-business-webinar-series/