Business owners fear abuse over policing entry for unvaccinated
Business owners are telling their staff it could “get ugly” if they have to deny entry to angry and abusive unvaccinated customers.
With New South Wales expected to reopen retail even earlier than previously expected due to a high vaccination rates, business owners are worried things could “get ugly” at shops and restaurants.
The worry is if only the vaccinated are given freedoms as how any rules liming the unvaxxed would be enforced.
Some businesses have gone as far as to do training courses and send scripts to staff so they know how to react in a “worst case scenario” if an unvaccinated customer gets angry if they are forced to sit outside or denied entry altogether.
Jade Pham, who owns popular nail salon CJ Artistry in Granville in Sydney’s west with her sister, is excited to throw open her doors but is worried about her staff being targeted by aggressive people who disagree with her business enforcing government rules.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said only fully vaccinated people and those with medical exemptions will be able to access businesses including pubs, restaurants and cafes, as well as retail settings, entertainment venues and health and beauty services, after the state hits the 70 per cent double-dose target.
Solomon Lew, the man behind brands including Smiggle, Just Jeans and Peter Alexander called for a ban on the unvaccinated in the nation’s shopping centres.
Ms Pham said she can't find any clear information on how businesses are expected to enforce the rules and it feels like the community is divided on the issue.
She recently ran a poll on social media with her 40,000 Instagram followers asking whether people agreed with only the vaccinated being allowed to access businesses and found 70 per cent were supportive.
“On the other side, you get 30 per cent of people who were just bashing you and saying ‘Why aren’t you accepting unvaccinated people?’ and they don’t understand it’s not really our choice. When I say that to them, they bash you and say ‘You can stand up to government’ and ‘It's not right of you to do this to us’. It’s been quite difficult,” she told news.com.au.
“Also there was an Instagram page that was created that was bashing all the businesses that are only accepting vaccinated people. I contacted them about how that’s not fair doing that to businesses that are struggling but they are not really nice at the moment – they are really angry.”
‘Worst case scenario’
The 32-year-old is most concerned about her team of 12 staff members, who are mostly in their twenties and for many English is their second language.
“I told them my main priority and concern is their mental health and that they feel comfortable when they return. I’ve been doing weekly meetings with them as of last Monday and we are role playing how to service clients and the conversations we have and the words we should use,” she revealed.
“I am trying to prepare them for the worst case scenario. I hope it doesn’t get ugly. I have really prepped them with what they can potentially expect and I think everyone should be doing that as a business.
“I’ve told them not to get into debating what is right and wrong but just to try and quash it. If anyone starts being aggressive and not just verbally, but physically as well, then we will have to take the next step and call the police and lucky there’s a police station right down the road from us but I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
The NSW government has begun briefing industry groups that October 11 will mark the official reopening of the state’s businesses, with the state expected to hit the 70 per cent vaccination target two weeks earlier than the original October 18 date.
But officials have conceded that the technology that would allow vaccinations certificates to be displayed in the Service NSW app is unlikely to be ready by Freedom Day, sparking concerns of increased confrontations, assaults and staffing costs, reported The Australian.
Ms Pham said it would help to have those type of tools in place before they reopened but instead she is implementing her own system.
“I feel like I lost trust in what the government has been saying to us … there is no clear direction,” she said.
“I hope if it’s not ready they give us real clarity and a set of guidelines and what we can expect to help businesses navigate how to deal with the unvaccinated.”
At CJ Artistry, Ms Pham said clients will be required to send through their vaccination certificate via email when they in book an appointment, which will be kept on record, and it will also be checked when they arrive.
She added that she is lucky that her business mainly relies on online bookings, rather than foot traffic.
“I can only imagine that for salons inside places like Westfield, that highly rely on foot traffic, it’s going to be crazy for them,” she added.
‘I don’t pay my staff to be abused’
Despite western Sydney restaurateur Samantha Sleiman losing $80,000 to keep her business afloat in lockdown, she said she’s dreading the so-called “freedom day” even more.
“I am more worried and stressed about opening than not to be honest,” the 47-year-old mum-of-five told news.com.au.
Ms Sleiman owns the up-market Butcher’s Block group, which has 200 staff members working across its three restaurants in Barangaroo, Wahroonga and Granville.
“Already we’ve got restraints because you’ve got the four square metre rule,” she said of the loosening of restrictions, which the NSW Government insists will be gradual and not a free for all.
“We’re still unsure if we’re opening on October 11 or 18 and we don’t even know if this $750 (covid support) payment will stop when we reopen.”
And to top it all off, she’s bracing for abuse from customers who aren’t fully vaccinated.
“(It’s looking like) we’ve got to employ someone to man the door constantly for covid passports,” said Ms Sleiman.
“I can’t put a young girl on the front door as a host. All it takes is for someone who is an anti-vaxxer to arc up to her. I don’t pay my staff to be abused.
“Next thing we’re going to have to hire security, to make sure my staff are safe and they’re not copping verbal abuse.
“That’s another expense. I’m actually happy not to open now until this gets sorted out.”
The business owner blames the government for the lack of clarity and is calling for an action plan.
“What are we supposed to do, turn them (customers) away?” she said.
“The government needs to make the decision, don’t put the decision on the business owners.
“They need to put in place a plan so we’re not attacked personally.”
Ms Sleiman sent a memo to her 200-strong workforce instructing them what to do if a fully-vaccinated customers wants to eat at the restaurant.
“If I do let anti-vaxxers dine in with us, I risk losing staff who don’t want to work in that environment. It’s a catch 22 situation,” she said.
Her advice is to still let unvaccinated customers eat at the restaurant, but outside.
She even created a whole role play scenario to avoid any unnecessary ugliness at the door.
She’s not alone.
Amy Campbell, owner of beauty salon The Bridal Bar in Caringbah in Sydney’s south, is keen to start trading again but wants more direction from the government.
“I don’t know how it’s going to work,” she said to news.com.au.
“People are going to cop so much.
“We’ve got two girls on the front desk, they’ve dealt with client conflict before, but this is a whole thing.”
She has 14 staff members, all young women, and is bracing for the worst.
‘Dire situation’
Valeric Domenici, who owns Zucchero Caffe Bar in the Sydney north shore suburb of Artarmon, has experienced a 70 per cent downturn in business during lockdown.
He is excited but concerned about reopening with little information or clear direction from the government.
He plans on asking everyone who dines in the cafe to provide a vaccination certificate.
“I will be instructing all my floor staff to sight and verify each individual, which is quite easy in my premises as it isn’t large,” he said.
“However, we need clarification and a clear message as to how to handle non compliant people … otherwise (the government) are leaving small biz in a very dire situation legally.”
Concerns vaxx app won’t be ready
Mr Domenici was also concerned about possible heated confrontations with people and said the government needed to get a “move on” with adding vaccination statuses to the check in display of the Service NSW app.
“Or this is going to cause a lot of confusion and tension in an already tense situation,” he said.
“Surely with all the resources and tech available to us this shouldn’t be too much to ask. I think this should be a priority given that we could perhaps open in mid October.”
But Digital Minister Victor Dominello said integrating the vaccination certificates into the Service NSW app was unlikely to be ready on time for reopening.
“We’re moving heaven and earth to get that ready,” he told The Australian.
“The reality is right now there are other options for showing your vaccination status. This is just to make it easier.”
‘Horrified’ retail workers
Greg*, a casual retail worker at a brand outlet in a David Jones department store, said he was “horrified” that Sydney would be opening up before the technology was ready to properly show vaccine passports.
“Even though we have covid certificates, the vaccine passport should already be trialled and be in testing right now, but it isn’t which is horrifying,” Greg told news.com.au.
The 20-year-old pointed out that it was approaching Christmas season, where frontline customer service staff take more flak than any other time of year. He expected this to be much worse for workers like himself because of the divide between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.
“I do think there’ll be unnecessary abuse hurled at retail staff this Christmas season sadly and I do think it’s going to be a really stressful and difficult time for retail workers,” he added.
Emily*, a Sydney worker at clothing brand Cotton On, told news.com.au: “It is concerning that we are going to have to deal with people who don’t want to be vaxxed and deal with the abuse that’s going to come with having to check if everyone is vaxxed.
“Especially if the app won’t be ready then it makes that job even harder.”
“It will be difficult and stressful for retail and hospitality staff to manage any conflict on top of what will already be a very busy first week back at work with everyone wanting to go shopping and dining again,” Janice*, another retail staff member who works at a sports shop, said.
Chief executive officer of the Australian Retailers Association Paul Zahra said the industry body was in close consultation with the NSW Government ahead of the reopening date.
“We are concerned about potential instances of customer aggression, but we don’t anticipate this to be widespread. At the end of the day, businesses just want to be back open and trading as soon as possible in the lead up to the all-important Christmas period,” he told news.com.au.
“If it means having to check a customer’s vaccine status in a different way while the Service NSW app is sorted out, most businesses would be happy to cop that on the chin in exchange of being able to trade.
“The most important thing is that law enforcement agencies have the backs of business to help manage the safe reopening.”
Premier Berejiklian has warned even at 80 per cent new freedoms will only be available to those who have been vaxxed.
“At 80 per cent additional freedoms will be for those who are fully vaccinated,” she said.
She added it would be a “period of time” after that before unvaccinated people can enjoy those same freedoms and that decision will be based on the health advice.
The Premier’s office and Health Minister Brad Hazzard have been contacted for comment.
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