#STAND UP FOR HOSPITALITY
cont. “No more government help and JobKeeper’s gone, businesses are going to find it tough coming into winter so now is the time to lift those restrictions and get as many people in safely, and move on to a bigger and better summer” he explained. Adam says he would be able to employ more Tasmanians if the restrictions eased. “I’d get to give my staff more hours, get to have more boots on the ground and a better experience for customers to come and enjoy themselves”. It’s not just business viability that the restrictions are impacting. Adam has seen a decline in the mental health of the hospitality workforce. “It’d definitely mean less stress and mental health issues are a massive thing in hospitality at the moment and when we lift the restrictions mental health will definitely improve. People will be a lot more engaged in their work and it’ll make it a lot easier on people”. “The shutdown was when we really questioned whether we could reopen the doors. But the THA rallying the government for those support measures really helped and made sure we could all stick together and get through it. Viability of the business has always been front of mind but with the help of THA, it’s been much better” Adam said.
Check In to open up Tasmanian hospitality businesses have been contact tracing since November 2020, with around 17,000 places of public gathering now using the Tasmanian government’s Check In Tas App. Irish Murphy’s Licensee Adam Shields says while it has it’s challenges, we all have a responsibility to do our bit to keep the industry and community safe. “Border closures hurt us a bit in terms of income and patronage but really it’s an eye opener of what could happen when you look at what’s happened interstate and what the venues over there have had to deal with. It’s a reminder to keep doing the things that keep us safe even if we don’t have cases here and I’d like to think that we’ll keep doing those things if restrictions ease as well”. “Contact tracing has its challenges, privacy and the older generation not having access to internet or the app. It’s definitely working but it’s just making sure everyone can and does do it. It’s important businesses work with customers” he explained. “There could be more awareness about it. Maybe getting signs that we could display around the venue that say ‘Have you signed in?’, that sort of thing would be helpful because it’s putting a big responsibility on our staff”. Adam suggested a tracing system implemented in New South Wales could be adopted in Tasmania. “Look at New South Wales for example, it’s embedded. You can’t come into a venue without signing in. There needs to be some mandatory guidelines for patrons on what has to happen and what needs to be done on their part for everyone to feel comfortable and feel safe and give Public Health more confidence around people enjoying our industry more freely”. The #StandUpforHospitality launch in November 2020
THA HOSPITALITY—REVIEW: JUNE 2021 | 23
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