Our innovative COVID-19 response
Blueline Laundry’s innovative response to COVID-19 centred around the twin challenges of protecting the community from transmission as an essential service to the health system, and safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our uniquely vulnerable workforce.
Essential Service Initiatives
Lead the fight for commercial laundries to be recognised as an “Essential Service” and ensure priority access to necessary resources and support.
Escalated existing procedures to manage the surge of COVID-19 infected linen from the major hospitals, aged care homes and quarantine hotels.
Become an advisor to Public Health and contributed to the government’s pandemic response strategy with critical infection control and safety management standards.
Bridged the knowledge gap for major tourism customers to repurpose their venues to isolation facilities.
Applied the highest levels of vigilance and adherence to safety protocols to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak on site.
Staff Wellbeing Initiatives
Took a wholistic approach to protect employees’ physical and psychological wellbeing not only at work, but also to and from work, at home and within their communities.
Created an Employee Crisis Fund to provide emergency resources and financial support to workers at risk.
Individually consulted with the 84 staff working with a disability, many of whom share a home with elderly parents, carers or other vulnerable people in group homes.
Added a sewing team of six workers with a disability to manufacture alginate bags, a critical medical-grade laundry product in demand due to COVID-19.
Prioritised retaining employment for migrant workers who were ineligible for JobKeeper and excluded from mainstream social welfare due to visa status.
Redeployed qualified migrant workers into higher capacity positions when discovered 31 bachelor’s degrees or higher amongst 25 migrant staff.
Reshaped roles and moved workers to different tasks or areas in the laundry to return staff to work within the new safety protocols, and delivered ongoing training on hygiene.
Nurtured a culture of inclusion, and respect with new categories in Annual Employee Awards giving every member of the diverse workforce an equal chance to be recognised.
Improved communication with a regular state-wide staff newsletter and conducted first staff feedback survey.
Started supplying free female sanitary products along with other enhanced staff hygiene amenities such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant and hand lotion.
A Defining Moment
COVID-19 completely redefined our understanding of Blueline’s Purpose and reshaped the identity of the organisation beyond an employer of people with a disability. Truly embracing what it means to employ people experiencing disadvantage means acknowledging the shared history of trauma and vulnerability that unites our workforce.
From migrant workers with refugee heritage to the white Tasmanians experiencing inter-generational hardship, those in society who are usually marginalised have had stable and regular income throughout this pandemic. They have been less dependent on social services for support. They have maintained purpose in their lives and developed life resilience skills. They have gained valuable work experience which they can leverage to provide higher levels of contribution to society.
While acknowledging the short-term impacts of COVID-19, the strategic direction was to continue to focus on the long-term, continuing our steadfast prioritisation of the safety and security of our people, our customers, and our community into the future.