Measles: Key actions for workplaces
This page has advice for workplaces and organisations on how to stop this serious illness from spreading, and how to maintain business continuity during an outbreak.
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On this page
Guidance for other settings and events
This page provides general guidance for workplaces. Specific guidance is also available for people who work in the following settings or events.
Measles information for healthcare providers in hospital and healthcare settings
Key messages
- There has been a rapid increase in measles cases in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2025.
- Measles is highly contagious meaning it is easily spread between people who are not immune. One person with measles can infect up to 18 people who are not immune.
- Measles can be serious for both children and adults. In the 2019 national outbreak, 1 in 3 people were admitted to hospital. Most people will need at least 1 to 2 weeks off work to recover.
- People are considered immune to measles if they were born or lived in Aotearoa New Zealand before 1 January 1969, have had 2 recorded doses of a measles vaccine after the age of 12 months old or have evidence of having a measles infection previously.
More information about measles immunity (external link) - To protect your workers, visitors and customers and maintain business continuity we recommend preparing now for possible cases at your workplace or organisation.
- The best way to prevent disruption to your business during a measles outbreak is to ensure staff are fully immunised and their immunisation status is recorded in the Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR).
- Immunisation prevents measles in individuals and in the community. It also ensures business continuity as immune staff can keep working if they are exposed to measles. Non-immune individuals may need to stay home from work each time they are exposed to measles to prevent spread to others.
Checklist for employers and managers
It is recommended that you take the steps outlined below.
Promote and support immunisation for workers
Promote and support immunisation for workers
- Send out the following information sheet to your workers encouraging them to:
- check they and their family are protected against measles and get immunised if they are not immune, or are unsure
- keep a personal record of their immunity
- stay at home if they have any symptoms of measles or are feeling unwell.
Measles information sheet for staff and employees [PDF, 143 KB]
- Display information posters and leaflets at you workplace that provide information for workers, clients and customers on measles symptoms and how to get immunised.
Measles is here - Protect yourself and others — HealthEd (external link)
Measles - Born between 1969 and 2004 poster — HealthEd (external link)
Measles information sheet — HealthEd (external link) (translated into multiple languages and alternate formats)
- Allow workers time off to get their immunisations.
- Consider coordinating a pop-up immunisation clinic in your workplace or bringing in a healthcare professional to facilitate vaccine conversations and review of immunisation records for your staff. A list of local immunisation providers can be found on Healthpoint. Immunisations for groups can be booked online or by calling 0800 28 28 26.
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine providers — Healthpoint (external link)
Keep a record of workers and their contact details
Keep a record of workers and their contact details
Having a record of who has been at your workplace and when makes contact tracing faster and more efficient.
- Maintain an accurate logbook or electronic record of workers or visitors who have been at your business or workplace.
- Keep worker records up to date including names, date of birth and a mobile phone number, to identify and contact any of your workers who are not immune.
Explore ways to ensure business continuity
Explore ways to ensure business continuity
- Consider working from home options for workers, if possible.
- Consider rostering patterns to minimise the number of workers impacted if there was a case in the workplace, if possible.
Reducing the impact of measles on your workplace
Encourage workers to check if they and their family are protected against measles
People are considered immune to measles if they:
- were born or lived in Aotearoa New Zealand before 1 January 1969 have had 2 recorded doses of a measles vaccine after the age of 12 months old
- have evidence of having a measles infection previously*.
*If workers were born or lived overseas before 1 January 1969, they are likely to be immune to measles, further guidance regarding presumed immunity for those born or living overseas is available on Health Information and Services.
Measles immunity (external link)
Ensure workers have evidence of their immunity
Many people think they are protected against measles but have not received two measles vaccines after the age of 12 months. It is important that workers have records confirming they are immune to measles.
Changes to the New Zealand Immunisation Schedule over time means there may be many adults in your workplace who are not fully immunised. This is particularly likely for people born in Aotearoa between 1969 and 1990.
Workers who had their childhood vaccines overseas must have these records checked by a healthcare worker as many countries may have the first measles vaccine given under the age of 12 months and these people would not be considered immune in NZ.
For further information about checking if you are immune to measles, finding records of your measles immunity and what to do if you were born or immunised overseas visit Health Information and Services.
Measles immunity (external link)
Refer to the checklist for employers and managers for ways to reduce the impact of measles on your workplace.
A suspected or confirmed case of measles at your workplace
If someone in your workplace has measles symptoms
If someone in your workplace has measles symptoms
- Advise anyone with measles symptoms to go (or stay) home and seek advice from their GP or Healthline on 0800 611 116. If visiting a medical centre, they should ring first to avoid spreading measles to other people and wear a well-fitting face mask upon arrival at the centre.
Measles symptoms (external link) - Anyone with a positive measles test result will be automatically notified to the local public health service. They will assess the risk to households, workplaces, schools and other settings, and provide your workplace with guidance on what you need to do to alert workers and customers if necessary.
- Contact your local public health service if you are told of a confirmed or suspected measles case at your workplace and you have not been contacted by public health services already.
- Wait for advice from the public health service team before sending any messages to staff or customers about measles.
- When communicating about measles exposures at your workplace it is important not to share the name or any personal details about the case with others, as that is private health information.
If someone in your workplace is a case
If someone in your workplace is a case
If someone in your organisation is diagnosed with measles, they will be required to stay home and isolate until they are no longer infectious. This is usually until 4 days after the rash appeared.
However, measles makes people feel very unwell and it can take at least 1 to 2 weeks until they will be well enough to return to work.
The public health service will provide letters to the person with measles that will confirm that they need to stay home from work and when they can leave isolation and return to work because they are no longer infectious. However, the person with measles may not feel well enough to return to work when their isolation period ends and they may need more time off work to fully recover.
If the person with measles attended work while they were infectious, the public health service team will help you to identify anyone who may have been exposed and will determine if anyone is considered a ‘close contact’. The public health service team will provide letters for workers advising what they need to do.
What you may be asked to do
You may be asked to provide the following information:
- records for the days the person with measles attended your workplace while they were infectious
- first name, surname, date of birth for workers who were on site at the same time as the person with measles
- contact details for workers (and clients and customers, if known) who were on site at the same time as the person with measles
- information about the layout of your facility so your public health service team can determine the risk to others.
If someone in your workplace is a close contact
If someone in your workplace is a close contact
If your workers are identified by public health services as close contacts of a measles case, the actions they will need to take will depend on whether they are not immune, partially vaccinated or immune to measles. The public health service team will contact workers individually and provide them with support and further information on what they need to do.
- Close contacts may also be asked to stay home until the public health service team has confirmed their immunity status. If immunisation records are not on the Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR), for example, overseas medical records, this can take longer to check.
- People who are not immune will need to quarantine (stay at home) which means they cannot go to their workplace from day 7 after their first exposure to measles until day 14 after their last exposure to measles (usually 8 days total).
- Partially vaccinated people (with one recorded MMR vaccine dose after 12 months of age) will need to stay away from places where measles could spread easily, such as healthcare facilities, schools and early learning services. They also need to stay away from people who could get very sick with measles (children aged under 5 years, anyone with a weakened immune system including during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after giving birth).
- Immune people, once immunity has been confirmed by the public health service, will be able to continue their usual activities such as going to their workplace.
The public health service will provide close contacts with letters that confirm that they need to stay home from work and when they are safe to return.
Supporting workers with isolation and quarantine requirements
Supporting workers with isolation and quarantine requirements
Please support your workers to isolate or quarantine so they can stay home and not increase the spread of measles at work or in the community.
- Consider options for workers to work from home.
- Explore options to accommodate leave if workers are required to isolate or quarantine — this may include granting leave in advance.
If your workers do not have sufficient leave or options available to them, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) may be able to help. Workers can call them on 0800 559 009 to discuss their situation and what financial support options might be available to them, or they can visit the Work and Income website.
Work and Income (external link)
Where all options for support have been investigated with no success, workers should contact the public health service who may be able to discuss further assistance for essential needs.
Workplace as a location of interest
Workplace as a location of interest
Your workplace may be publicly identified as a ‘location of interest’ on the Health New Zealand website if public health services cannot identify or contact everyone who was there at the same time as the person with measles.
Measles: Locations of interest in Aotearoa New Zealand (external link)
Public health services will contact you if possible before publishing any information about your workplace.