When the pandemic hit five months ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long), working life changed for everyone.
Whether it was adapting to working from home, having to take time off to look after children, being laid off, or continuing to work in public-facing essential roles while the world was locked down - we all had to modify our lives.
And now as businesses are opening back up, we are still seeing repercussions.
On page ten of this week’s Fitzhugh, read insights about Jasper’s job market, with comments from the director of Jasper Employment and Education Centre, Ginette Marcoux.
There, she talks about the struggles some employers are facing filling roles - particularly in housekeeping and guest services. Many of these positions are usually taken by temporary foreign workers, but immigration restrictions are so tight now, there aren’t so many of these workers this year.
Most young travellers are here on a working holiday visa, a flexible one- or two-year visa for under-30s that allows you to travel and work anywhere in the country. It’s how I first came to Canada.
But now, to activate that visa you need a job offer. Hotels may be desperate for staff, but hiring someone who isn’t in the country yet - and could still be denied entry at the border - is risky business.
Adding this to some people reportedly deciding to stay at home to collect CERB cash rather than going back to work, it’s a difficult climate.
Those who work in these understaffed jobs are working harder than ever before, especially operating under new health guidelines.
And jobs in customer service - guest services, serving, retail work - are far more stressful than they were six months ago.
Employees are not only working under strict new protocols to keep themselves, their colleagues, families and guests safe, but apparently dealing with extra difficult customers. These frustrating people have always been part of the job, but everything seems ramped up at the moment.
Some examples of responses I have heard when customers have been asked to sanitize their hands at the entrance to stores:
“Why should I?” “I just sanitized in the last store.” “I won’t touch anything.” “I can’t, I’m pregnant.” “No.”
Work is hard, harder than it was pre-COVID, for everybody. But I applaud everyone who has their patience tested on a daily basis and makes it through the work day.
In the words of Mayor Ireland: “We’re all in this together.”
And we should do what we can to be kind, patient and respectful to one another in this difficult time.
Fuchsia Dragon
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