the relaunch rant
On April 30, 2020, the Premier of Alberta presented a “relaunch” strategy for the province. The strategy outlines a phased approach to reopening businesses, with some businesses slated to reopen as early as May 14, 2020 – such businesses include: clothing, furniture and book stores, personal services such as hairstyling and barber shops, physiotherapy, chiropractic, optometry clinics, museums and art galleries, day cares and summer camps, as well as cafes, pubs and restaurants with specified restrictions, and enhanced infection prevention protocols and controls.
For many, the announcement represented a liberating exhale for those who have been subconsciously holding their breath since mid-March. It was a signal that the virus and threat to public safety is under control, that we have successfully flattened the curve and that businesses may soon be able to reopen their doors to their loyal customers, rehire and recall their workers, rebuild financial stability and restore a sense of normalcy.
But that just isn’t the case. Only two days before the relaunch announcement (on April 29, 2020), the numbers reported for Alberta were staggering: 315 new cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths. While reported cases for Alberta have dropped considerably in the past few days, so too have testing rates.
The public response to the reopening strategy has been a mixed bag of sighs of relief and heightened levels of anxiety. Many are fearing that this was much more of a premature economic-driven decision than one that prioritizes the public’s best interests, health and safety. It’s not that our curve has flattened, it’s that some of our metrics aren’t as dire as we originally thought – our hospital Intensive Care Units are not as overwhelmed as we thought they would be, but for many, that doesn’t seem like a compelling reason to reopen just yet.
Sure, the province has cited caveats to the relaunch: the relaunch strategy document is peppered with phrases such as: “Will progress to Stage 1 gradually once health measures are achieved to the satisfaction of Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health” and “As we consider relaxing public health measures, we will evaluate, monitor and adjust course as needed. We may need to step back at times, but we will adjust and move forward together.”
But, once the floodgates reopen, too late might just be that…too late.
This week, I’m supporting a number of clients through the daunting process of reopening their businesses. I say it’s “daunting” because it is. This decision for many businesses feels heavy, it feels risky and it feels hard. In some cases, the decision to potentially reopen the week of May 17 feels harder than the decision to close that they made in mid-March. Don’t get me wrong, every business owner wants to reopen their doors to their loyal customers, to rehire and recall their workers, to restore a feeling of normalcy, and to rebuild the financial stability of their companies.
But many business owners are feeling overwhelmed, uninformed, ill-equipped and just plain, scared.
The Alberta government has issued guidelines for businesses to support their reopening plans. The guidelines tell businesses WHAT parameters and protocols they need to have in place to reopen, but they haven’t provided supports as to HOW to access, implement or monitor these new requirements.
For example, businesses have to have the following in place:
written workplace policies and procedures established to address the COVID-19 pandemic response. All workplaces are expected to develop and implement these policies and procedures prior to re-opening or continuing operations
written communications and prevention plans
written procedures for rapid response to situations where an employee or customer becomes ill or is diagnosed with COVID-19, including a process for contact tracing
conduct hazard assessments on all tasks performed in the business
heightened levels of hygiene (increased number of sanitizing stations, increased cleaning and disinfecting schedules, increased supply of spray cleaners, disposable towels and wipes, etc.)
implementation of active daily screening of staff, volunteers and patrons for symptoms of fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose or difficulty breathing
implementation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) includes increasing ventilation, placing barriers or partitions between staff, enforcing strict policies related to physical distancing, requiring wearing of gloves, non-surgical masks and face shields.
These are just some of the considerations that businesses are having to plan for. Many businesses covered by professional associations have a whole slew of other requirements, safety trainings, and certifications that need to be implemented in order to safely reopen their doors. Many don’t know where to start (or finish) and many don’t have the cash flow to implement these requirements.
Businesses are under tremendous pressures to reopen. Many customers are counting down the minutes to dropping their child off at daycare, to eating at a restaurant with friends and loved ones and to having their hair cut and their unicorn streaks (grey hairs) covered.
Businesses are also under enormous pressures to get their relaunches right. Failure is NOT an option. They don’t want to be the reason that their staff or their customers fall sick, and they certainly don’t want to have to go through the emotional process of closing their doors again – maybe for good this time.
So, let’s be patient. Let’s be kind. Let’s be empathetic. Let’s be understanding. And let’s be thankful for all that these businesses are doing (and have endured) to reopen their doors to us.
Ok, rant over.
Drop me a comment below to let me know your thoughts on Alberta’s “relaunch” strategy? How are you feeling?
p.s. This will be my last blog in the COVID-19 blog series. For those of you who have read my weekly posts, thank you for coming along with me. Like many businesses, I’m focusing on my path forward. As such, my upcoming blogs will be related to workplace investigations, my area of expertise. I’d love for you to stick around.
May 5, 2020
Saira Gangji is an independent licensed Workplace Investigator at hrology in Calgary, AB. She investigates allegations of discrimination and human rights, harassment, violence and misconduct in the workplace. For more information about hrology and our process, see the work with me page.