COVID-19 Update

As we all enter uncharted territory locally and globally, we wanted to provide you with an update on how we’re continuing our e-waste collection and recycling service operationally, with the health and safety of our workers and partners a priority in all our decisions.

At this stage, it is business as usual for TechCollect, with some small changes. We are continuing to provide the service as best we can, considering variabilities across our supply chain and noting that circumstances are changing daily.

Our >250 collection sites currently remain open and are accepting e-waste. Should any site close we will endeavor to update you as soon as possible – however if you are considering dropping any material off, we recommend you contact the site to check they are still open, as we may not know straight away. Please also practice extra levels of precaution – wipe your items with disinfectant before dropping off, and if possible avoid giving your e-waste to a member of staff, and rather ask if you can place it directly in the collection bin. This may not always be possible, so be respectful of workers assisting you.

Currently, all of our recycling partners are operating as normal with some small changes implemented, ensuring all preventative measures possible are in place to protect the welfare of their staff. We have been in touch with them on a regular basis to confirm this, and for now all sites are continuing to process e-waste.

Our logistics providers helping transport e-waste from A to B are also operating as normal, again with some small changes to ensure best practice for the welfare of their staff. Couriers and drivers are not requesting signatures on PODs, rather opting for a name, reference number or even photographic evidence of delivery. For anyone interacting with these providers we ask that you accept and work with this, and any future changes implemented, recognising they are there to protect everyone.

For our collection partners, we ask that you advise TechCollect of any changes in your situation, such as opening hours, delivery/collection restrictions and contingency plans if required to close sites. Conversely, we will of course continue to update you on changes to our service.

Our office staff are now all working remotely from home, and we have moved all non-essential meetings to Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Should you need to contact us our phone lines are still operational, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Working from home is a new thing for many of us, so we’re working to stay connected through regular video calls, and have made our new Employee Assistance Program available to staff via phone, should they need it. There have been loads of resources circulating in the past few days about staying mentally and physically healthy when working from home, and we’re helping our staff to do this in their own way. We’ve also made sure all staff have an appropriate ergonomic set-up.

As we adapt to working from home, meanwhile our regular local small business suppliers of services like catering are taking a hit. We’re thinking of ways to continue to support our local businesses as we recognise they will be doing it tough over the next few weeks, if not months.

The circular economy and the industry in which we operate has really progressed in recent years, and we are committed to continuing to drive recycling and circularity during challenging circumstances. How we adapt will be crucial to ensuring we keep moving forwards, we keep e-waste out of landfills and we continue to protect our environment.


ANZRP introduces Employee Assistance Program

One in five Australians will experience a mental health condition in any given year. PwC estimates that absenteeism resulting from employee mental health conditions costs Australian businesses $4.7 billion per annum, equivalent to 1.1 million days’ sick leave.  91% of workers in Australia believe mental health in the workplace is important.

ANZRP is currently implementing its first Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a voluntary and confidential service to help employees at all levels who have personal concerns that affect their personal wellbeing and/or work performance. This generally takes the form of employer funded counselling sessions for those staff who require assistance.

As a certified B Corporation, we are committed to constant improvement of our practices. Under B Corp certification, workers are a key category against which performance is measured, and we know that employee wellbeing is a factor that jobseekers are increasingly searching for. Engaging an EAP service allows employees access to support from independent and impartial professionals who can better equip them for challenges and change.

Employers face an evolving, fast-paced business landscape, and there are countless benefits to taking a proactive approach to staff wellbeing – not to mention the risks of falling behind.

ROI benefits

A report by PwC and Beyond Blue on Creating a mentally healthy workplace – Return on investment analysis outlined the ROI benefits of implementing mental wellbeing initiatives. It found mental health conditions present substantial costs to organisations. However, through the successful implementation of an effective action to create a mentally healthy workplace, organisations on average can expect a positive return on investment (ROI) of 2.3. That is, for every dollar spent on successfully implementing an appropriate action, there is on average $2.30 in benefits to be gained by the organisation. These benefits typically take the form of improved productivity, via reduced absenteeism and presenteeism (reduced productivity at work), and lower numbers of compensation claims.

Employee retention

Offering EAPs to employees demonstrates the employer is genuinely concerned about the employee’s happiness. It’s reported that 51 percent of employees stay at a job due to positive relationships with co-workers. EAPs can assist with conflict resolution and provide tools to handle workplace challenges.

Risks

Legal Considerations

Employers have a duty of care under workplace health and safety legislation, including the Occupational Health & Safety Act (2004) (Vic) , to provide and maintain (as far as is reasonably practicable) a safe workplace. These statutory and common law duties extend to risks to employees’ psychological safety, as well as their physical safety.

Absenteeism

Given that untreated mental health conditions (including workplace stress) result in over 6 million lost working days and 12 million days of reduced productivity every year in Australia , providing access to professional support through an EAP can help employees resolve workplace stress and prevent burnout before issues become overwhelming and potentially result in lost working days and reduced productivity. Based on a current Australian workforce of 13 million this equates to an average of 1.38 days of lost productivity per employee, per year.

Presenteeism

Presenteeism, where people are less productive in their role due to factors like workplace stress or a mental health condition, is estimated to cost Australian business $6.1 billion a year. This cost is based on the assumption that workers are 50% less productive. This figure is then multiplied by the amount of time the person is assumed to be working but is less productive than normal.

The business case is clear

The business environment is rapidly changing, and the speed of this change in some areas can catch even the most resilient of workplaces by surprise. Aside from ‘seeming like the right thing to do’, providing proactive mental health initiatives makes business sense. Many businesses fund physical preventative health initiatives like ergonomic assessments, equipment and flu vaccinations, and mental wellbeing programs are no different.