'It's a bit tough': Independent grocery stores feel pressure from COVID staff shortages
Local, independent grocery stores are feeling the pinch on their workforce due to COVID-19.
In Manitoba, people must isolate for five days upon being tested for COVID no matter the result of the test.
For grocery stores like Food Fare, this can take a real hit on the workforce daily.
"We don't have a network of staff that we can move around," said Munther Zeid, the owner and manager of Food Fare.
"It's a bit tough, it's a day-by-day thing, and we're sort of rotating through the pandemic. I had two people off who just came back and then three people went away."
Zeid said unlike the big grocery store chains, they don't have the ability to bring people in from other locations to help make sure there aren't any staff shortages.
He said if staff shortages continue to happen regularly, it could lead to independent stores having to close their doors.
"Could it happen? Yes. Will it happen? It's hard to say honestly. It's going to be an interesting experience to see this."
The vice-president of public policy with the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, Gary Sands said absenteeism, as a result of COVID protocols, has hit about 30 per cent throughout the country.
Lack of staff isn't the only problem grocery stores are dealing with. Shortages of certain products are leaving shelves empty for an extended period of time.
Zeid said this problem has been felt at his store but he has heard of problems with produce being delivered on time.
"We've been told that there's a bunch of produce sitting at the docks in Vancouver, Montréal. There's a bit of delay in receiving it due to COVID staffing, there's a bit of an issue due to trucking issues and because it's perishable, leaving produce on a dock, three, four, five days, basically could destroy product."
While there are concerns around receiving certain products, Zeid said that is something stores can deal with and more products will eventually come in, noting that as long as people don't hoard food like when the pandemic first started, they will be able to rebound.
When asked what could be done to help lessen the burden of staff shortages, Zeid said he would like to see an open list of people he could bring in from other countries to fill his labour shortage when it happens.
"For me in a grocery store, I need 10 people to speak with customers and deal with the public, everything else is labour," he said. "If I can import people from other countries to come in to cover the labour shortage that we could face, then that could solve it."
However, he added when shortages occur, he needs people to fill in within the week to ensure there isn't a major interruption.
Despite the problems that can arise from people being sick, Zeid said he encourages all of his staff to stay home if they aren't feeling well and he wants everyone to be healthy while at work to make sure there is no illness spreading among staff.
- With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.