Some employees at Tegel Foods' head office are swapping their desks for the factory lines and retraining as temporary workers as staff shortages bite.
Tegel head office workers Anna and Maureen join Rasela on the production line at Tegel's Henderson poultry factory as staff shortages bite. Photo: Tegel Foods Ltd
Tegel Foods chief executive Egbert Segers said a combination of winter illness, national labour shortages and closed borders meant employee absence was significantly impacting the production of products.
"This is an unprecedented situation for Tegel and it means we are simply unable to make some of our products," he said.
"That in turn means gaps in supermarket fridges and freezers. I apologise to all our customers but I want them to know that we just don't have the people, it's as simple as that."
"I would also like to apologise to the retailers we can't supply. They are the ones who deal with disappointed customers and we know that it puts them in a difficult spot. We really are doing all we can to fulfil orders. At this stage it's just impossible to say when things will be back to normal."
The company employs 2300 people nationally of whom about 900 work in the Taranaki plant.
Current high staff absences mean sausage production was down by as much as 40 percent compared to its usual output of about 100 metric tonnes of sausages per week .
Segers said the volunteers from Tegel's head office, including accountants, planners and IT workers, have been drafted in to boost numbers on the production line at the plant.
"We have such a dedicated group of employees and they have been incredibly loyal through Covid but the reality for many businesses like ours around the country is we are operating in an unsustainable environment and are doing what we can under the current restraints," he said.
"I want to thank those volunteers and I especially want to pay tribute to our production people who are operating under immense strain, and putting in some massive hours to keep the lines running. It's a tough job at the best of times, and these are definitely not the best of times."