Biggest concern among businesses is abuse of employees, says Hospitality Saskatchewan

It’s the first workday for the hospitality sector under Saskatchewan’s new proof-of-vaccination requirements.

As of Friday, a number of businesses must check customers for proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Bars and restaurants are among the sectors to which the order applies.

The options for providing proof of vaccination vary, from the paper wallet cards to a smartphone app where users can download the QR code from their MySaskHealthRecord account.

Jim Bence, president and CEO of Hospitality Saskatchewan, has been impressed with the QR code and expects verification to go smoothly.

“It really does seem to be really slick and easy to use,” Bence told the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Friday.

“The challenges could be that for venues that have multiple entrances, how is that traffic flow going to be managed so that everybody has an opportunity to safely show their identification?”

The main concern for business owners is how to deal with customers who do not follow the rules. He has heard many stories from the last few days of front-of-house staff, who are usually young, getting “blasted by people.”

Those workers don’t put up with the abuse for long and often quit.

“They just say, ‘This is not worth it.’ And we’re already in a situation in which it’s really difficult to find staff. We just need people to be patient and be kind. Don’t be a jerk,” Bence said.

Bence has known of some establishments that have required all their staff to be fully vaccinated. He believes that can make a business more attractive to customers, employers and employees because in this industry, “it’s all about confidence.”

“I mean, I’d love to know that,” he said.

“We need to get our swagger back a little bit … We’re not going to go around COVID or over it or under it, but we’ve got to go straight through it and we can do it safely.”