Jason Picard: Covid 19 freedoms - Masks a 'trigger' issue, responsible behaviour urged

A retail boss says the Government's policy around mask wearing still leaves staff at risk of abuse. Photo / 123RF

Opinion

OPINION:

The Government's announced relaxation of vaccine mandates and passes and indoor venue limits is great news for many businesses and workforces, so is welcomed. The closer we get to establishing our new normal the more people will be able to reclaim their sense of control and start planning for their and their families' futures.

We at Mitre 10 will be relieved when we reach that new equilibrium because our staff have been too often at the receiving end of aggression or worse from stressed and angry customers. The trigger for too many is the policy around mask wearing indoors.

This week's announcement by the Government is, therefore, viewed by us as a mixed blessing - good for some sectors and good for the country overall but not so much for retailers and their team members.

The continued requirement for masks to be worn indoors, without tightening up what is effectively a self-determined exemption process, means retail workers will continue to face aggressive behaviour from customers who choose not to respect conditions of entry.

As employers and as retailers, it is our responsibility to provide an environment which is as safe as reasonably practicable for our team members to work in and our customers to shop in.

New Zealand has been living with extraordinary levels of uncertainty, ambiguity and stress for two years now. The toll is becoming more and more evident as time goes on.

Frustrations grow, tempers fray, and eventually pressure bubbles over, often directed at whoever is closest at that moment.

We've observed that people snap, and go from calm to fury in a heartbeat, and with the smallest of triggers.

Our team members around our country-wide network are challenged on a daily basis; some exchanges spiral into situations no one should have to deal with in their regular day's work. In just the past month alone, more than 10 events involving aggressive customers have been notified through a Health and Safety reporting platform linking to NZ Police. Those are events and incidents serious enough to warrant being flagged with the authorities.

A team member in a central Auckland store was spat on by an irate customer. Another was subject to a tirade of racial abuse for asking a customer found in the team lunchroom to leave the store. The same customer later returned and pulled a knife. Too many have been verbally abused, threatened with physical harm or with legal action for "infringing the rights" of people refusing to wear masks or show our team members their exemptions.

It is not appropriate for a business owner or employee to inquire about the nature of a customer's mask exemption. But it is reasonable and appropriate for them to check whether customers are exempt from the rule and to offer alternative ways of shopping, such as contactless click and collect or home delivery, for those not comfortable with a store's conditions of entry.

As Greg Harford, from Retail NZ, said earlier this week, the question of mask-wearing is regrettably the flashpoint for many instances of aggressive behaviour being directed towards workers across the retail sector.

According to public health advice, it is also a strong line of defence against infection. Businesses are charged with protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of our teams and customers and it is a responsibility we take seriously. But it does place us in a conundrum and exposes our staff to more risk of aggression than they deserve or should expect.

Clearly the mask exemption rules exist to support those with genuine reasons for not wearing masks.

This is, in fact, a very small percentage of customers. However, the Government's current design of the rules makes it difficult to distinguish between that small but genuine group and those wishing to make a political point by claiming an exemption from wearing a mask.

Unfortunately, it is the latter group who are creating risk for retail workers and other customers. We urge all who visit our stores to remember the golden rule of treating others as you would expect to be treated. Our teams have the reasonable expectation of being safe in the workplace and we need your help to keep them safe.

• Jason Picard is chief customer experience officer for Mitre 10 New Zealand Ltd and a retail industry expert with upwards of 30 years' experience.