Covid-19 has significantly impacted not just the way we live in Australia, but also the way staff go about their work and how companies are run.

At TRS Resourcing, one of Australia’s top labour hire companies, we have been working closely with our clients, industry groups and the Australian Government to keep essential workers in their jobs and to support the Australian economy.

We understand that there are immediate and long-term impacts as a result of the Covid-19 situation. TRS is continuing to provide labour hire services and have highlighted some of the changes and ways we are helping our clients below.

CHANGES TO INDUSTRY DUE TO COVID-19

TRS Resourcing is a proud industry partner and works closely with technical blue collar industries clients such as manufacturing, cleaning, mining, infrastructure and transport.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, some businesses have moved to a working from home model, while other companies have reduced staff hours or made positions redundant. Although the Federal Governments JobKeeper payment has helped to mitigate some of these impacts, other organisations have faced different concerns.

For most of the technical blue collar workforce, working from home is not possible as skilled labour is required for frontline, hands-on work. As a result of the skilled labour and essential workers continuing to work on a daily basis, there have been significant changes to health and safety processes to prevent the infection and spread of Covid-19.

Both the JobKeeper payments and technical blue collar roles have led to an in the increase in work and staff required for cleaning, installing plexiglass, manufacturing of personal protective equipment and maintenance for trucks and machinery, among others.

Since March, TRS head office has seen a significant increase in the following industries:

• Food Manufacturing – as the Australian public reduced the number of visits to the shops each week, the number of frozen, canned and bottled foods being bought has significantly increased. Specific recommendations for working in the food manufacturing industry have been made available from Safe Work Australia.
• Local Manufacturing – as manufacturing companies overseas have faced severe lockdown restrictions and transportation by air and sea has significantly reduced, local production for items such as toilet paper and medical personal protection equipment has increased tenfold. The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources has provided support and funding to assist businesses during this time.
• Transportation – although Australia’s state borders are shut for non-essential travel, vital goods that are now locally manufactured including food, post, medical supplies and more are being freighted across the country at an increased rate. Recommendations and assistance for the transport industry during Covid-19 is available here, and Deloitte’s report provided practical steps to assist transportation businesses.
• Maintenance Support – as transport and manufacturing increase, so does the requirement to maintain and fix problems with vehicles and machinery. Working across multiple industries, maintenance businesses need to be mindful of what steps to take if someone has been exposed to the virus.
• Commercial cleaning – due to strict cleaning regulations for Covid-19, the demand for commercial cleaning has outstripped the supply of the workforce. For businesses who do not or cannot utilise commercial cleaning, safe cleaning practices are outlined by Safe Work Australia.

CHANGES TO STAFFING – HOW RECRUITMENT AGENCIES CAN HELP WITH SKILLED LABOUR HIRE

Many organisations have seen a significant loss of skilled staff as their workforce has been required to self-isolate to protect their own and their family’s health. This has been even more evident in the past week in Victoria, as both schools and a meat processing facilityhave been closed due to an outbreak.

As a result, organisation services are relying more and more on recruitment agencies and recruitment online to fill labour skill gaps when staff need to stay home to prevent spreading infection.

At TRS Resourcing Recruitment Agency , we have been working directly with clients to ensure we can source and find the best solutions for the roles they require, as quickly as possible. And to do this, we have changed our own labour hire processes to ensure everyone’s safety is upheld.

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OUR RESPONSE TO LABOUR HIRE DURING COVID-19

TRS Resourcing values the safety of our staff, our technical blue collar labour workforce and our clients above anything else.

We have been working closely with industry leaders and the health advice provided by the Australian Government and World Health Organization to ensure that our processes and procedures meet recommended guidelines, and allow our clients to continue to operate with minimal disruption.

At TRS Resourcing we have:

• Created a Covid-19 screening process for our entire workforce.
• Implemented a declaration form for jobseekers to ensure understanding and adherence to the different Covid-19 recommendations in each state and territory.
• Modified our online processes to remove the need for face to face registrations.
• Revised all our site visits to complete essential visits only.
• Our office staff have the flexibility to work from home and utilise online resources to stay connected and to continue to provide high-quality services.
• Ensure that all staff and clients uphold social distancing of 1.5m away between people when face to face interactions are unavoidable.
• Upskilled our staff on proper handwashing and sneezing/coughing practices.
• Held meetings with our OH&S team, with updated information and recommendations communicated directly to our candidates and clients via email.

TRS Resourcing labour hire team has also kept the existing processes that continue to keep people safe such as:

• Clients can request staff through an online form.
• Jobseekers can still submit resumes and information
• We have an online job board available for jobseekers, who can also sign up for job alerts.
• Our Resume Generator is online and creates professional resumes for jobseekers.
• We can be contacted via telephone, email, webchat and video conference.
• Updates are provided to candidates and clients via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
• Timesheets are completed online, similar to the Hays Timesheet.

CAN WE HELP?

This experience is new for everyone, and the team at TRS Resourcing are here to help.

Jobseekers: If you are a looking for a job – particularly Boilermakers, Diesel Mechanics, Fabricators or Cleaners – click here to upload your resume, search our Job Boards and sign up to our social media alerts.

Clients: If you would like to speak to someone about labour hire for roles such as Heavy Duty Fitters, Aluminium Polishers, Welders and Commercial Spray Painters, contact us online or call us on 03 9349 2726.

For the most up to date Covid-19 recommendations and information for the workplace visit:

• Department of Health – Health Alerts
• Safe Work Australia – Information for Workplaces

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​You can read more about the Recruitment Industry and learn more insights from the team at TRS Resourcing. From guidance and encouragement to job seekers to support for Australian business owners – we’ve got you covered.

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READ MORE RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY INSIGHTS HERE