The BFD | Together You Are Stronger

Voices for Freedom
voicesforfreedom.co.nz

Have you found yourself navigating awkward conversations about your vaccination status at work?

Are these discussions becoming a recurring theme?

Has there been chatter about No Jab, No Job mandates in your industry?

Perhaps your job is safe for now, but you’re concerned about what lies ahead?

Whether these interactions and situations are with colleagues, superiors, or customers and clients, things can feel very stressful, especially when it’s ongoing. Here at Voices for Freedom, we saw a need for people in various industries to find like-minded others, so we have done something about it.

You’re not alone! And, you’re not the only one feeling uncomfortable with the discussions, social pressure, coercion, and bullying – we hear this story a lot. But, it’s usually not until people muster the courage to start putting their feelers out that they find they’re not the only one in their industry that’s concerned.

Good news! Even if you’re the only one standing firm in your workplace, you no longer need to feel alone!

INTRODUCING INDUSTRY SUPPORT GROUPS

Over the past couple of months, several groups have been created to connect and organise the staff/personnel facing employment worries within their sector. Some of these groups grew organically, and others were started by VFF. These spaces have provided valuable opportunities to speak freely, problem-solve, and support one another in a safe environment.

These groups report they have found the connection beneficial for their mental health, happiness, and confidence. Legal action has also evolved out of these communities concerning declining the Covid jab, challenging employment restrictions, and standing up for what is right. When we work together, we are stronger!

FINDING A GROUP FOR YOU

We have kicked things off by creating a larger selection of groups based on suggestions from the employment webinar on Tuesday night.

These groups are only the start, so don’t panic if your industry is not yet represented! If you notice a gap, please drop us a line and tell us your suggestions – there’ll be a chocolate fish for volunteering to help set up a new group!

Existing groups:

Medical Professionals, Midwives, Education, and NZ Defence Force.

New groups:

Paramedics, Dental Industry, Rest Home Staff, Natural Health Practitioners, Police, Firefighters, Tertiary Students, Aviation Sector, Tradies, Hospitality, Border Workers, Supermarket Staff, Retail Workers, Delivery Staff, Fitness Industry, Small Businesses, Film Industry, Public Servants, and Council Workers.

HOW THE GROUPS WORK

We use a framework to set up each group run by volunteers from within the industry.
Members will register their desire to join by filling in the appropriate group’s form on our website. The form provides an opportunity to let us know whether you can help with the admin for your group.
Someone from VFF will be in touch with the admin volunteers to go over what is needed to get each group rolling.
Next, the admin teams will contact the members via email, requesting relevant ID as a condition of entry. The type of ID required will vary between groups. Some industries have centralised ways to check those employed within their sector. This is primarily to ensure the groups’ safety and reduce the likelihood of trolls infiltrating and causing trouble. Please note: this step will be carefully managed by people who must sign a confidentiality agreement. Your ID will be deleted once sighted.
Once invited to the group, members will be free to interact. We encourage people to become familiar with the VFF Code of Conduct so that communication remains respectful and productive.
INVITING OTHERS: We expect that members will want to invite others from their industry. This is great! We ask that people point their friends and colleagues to our website to follow the process.
A member of VFF staff will remain in each group as a rep. We can feed through important information as and when it comes available and answer questions where possible.

Please be patient as we work hard to get these new groups off the ground. If there are delays for your industry, it may be due to a lack of admin volunteers, so please do consider helping in this way if you can – many hands make light work!

Find your industry support group

Employment resources.

P.S. Our Telegram channel is growing fast! Make sure you have joined our channel to keep up with the latest stories and info.