Australian Retailers Association’s Paul Zahra takes aim at Dan Andrews over Victorian vaccine rules

Last minute vaccine rule changes left shop staff dealing with angry customers and employing Covid marshals, the peak retail group has revealed in an open letter to Premier Dan Andrews.

Australian Retailers Association chief executive officer Paul Zahra represents the $320bn sector and has penned an open letter to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

The Australian Retailers Association, which represents the nation’s $320bn retail sector, has made an uncustomary public attack on the Victorian government.

The ARA has accused the state government of ‘blindsiding’ the association in relation to last minute changes to staff vaccine rules, giving contradictory advice and failing to consult with the retail community.

In an open letter dated November 23 and sent to Premier Daniel Andrews, ARA chief executive Paul Zahra has laid out a litany of errors, misjudgements, mixed messages and lack of consultation from government departments that now adds complexity and stress to many retailers as they head into the crucial Christmas trading period.

According to Mr Zahra, the frustration of the ARA and its members peaked on Thursday last week when, in the midst of Black Friday preparations, retailers were required to pivot their business focus to vaccine checking with only a few hours notice given by the Victorian government.

He has also criticised the “timing and the stop-start nature of the vaccine checking requirement” which has been extremely challenging for retailers to manage and spilled over into elevated customer aggression levels within Victorian stores.

Mr Zahra said the behaviour exhibited by customers during the past week reached peak levels, resulting in many retail staff becoming fearful to return to work.

“The current skills crisis has already seen many retail and hospitality outlets close due to lack of available staff,” he said.

“This, coupled with the enormous pressure retailers are already under due to supply chain issues and the intensity of Christmas and Black Friday trade, it is creating unprecedented levels of anxiety.”

Australian Retailers Association chief executive officer Paul Zahra.

Traditionally apolitical and working behind the scenes to lobby on behalf of their members, both large retailers that operate across the country to smaller family owned stores, Mr Zahra, the former chief executive of department store David Jones, has released a letter he penned to Premier Andrews in the wake of recent vaccination regulations and the checking of vaccine status for customers when they walk through a retailer’s doors.

“For many retailers, this entailed recruitment or rostering of Covid marshals for one or several entrances.

“Not only was this at great cost to retail, it also meant finding additional staff with limited preparation time,” Mr Zahra told the Premier.

“Retail rostering happens days and usually weeks in advance – in many instances required by law. The inclusion of children in the customer vaccination requirements was also a surprise move which was introduced without adequate communication, training materials or signage to assist staff and customers in navigating this change.”

Mr Zahra said in his letter that naturally customers were also taken by surprise with this new requirement while retailers also had little time to react and were ‘blindsided’.

“Retailers were further blindsided by the bringing forward of staff vaccination requirements from the previously legislated date of 26 November for a second dose to 19 November – without any warning.

“These requirements were introduced with very little information on the record and without the provision of a public health order until the day of the legislation coming into place.

There was the added complexity of the published public health orders contradicting each other around the required dates for staff vaccinations in ‘non-essential’ retail.

“Larger retailers may have the benefit of a lawyer to interpret these public health directions, but small businesses don’t stand a chance navigating this confusing legislation the day it came into effect.”

Mr Zahra said despite the best efforts at the ARA, it was unable to get clarity from the Premier’s office or the department on this staff vaccination matter until the evening November 19.

“We also received contradictory advice from the department about staff vaccinations and had to correct this advice with our members causing great confusion and unnecessary further stress.”

Mr Zahra’s letter goes on to claim that many of these challenges could have been minimised or avoided entirely with appropriate consultation and planning with the retail community.

“We can only repeat our request for improved consultation, accurate and timely communications and the urgent provision of the final phase plan so retailers can understand and prepare for next steps – avoiding clumsy staff and customer communication and ensuring we maintain the highest levels of staff and customer safety.”

The ARA has urged the Premier that vaccination checking be brought into line with the restrictions in place within NSW, which lift on December 15.

“As borders ease domestically and internationally, it makes no sense to have Australia’s two biggest states at odds around these matters causing unnecessary cost and confusion to business and customers.”