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Mandatory record-keeping at “busy places and events”, including cafés, bars and restaurants, cinemas, hairdressers, gyms and Council facilities (such as libraries), as well as aged care and health facilities will come into force a week after the next Alert Level change.
“Relevant businesses and locations will be responsible for having systems and processes in place to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that customers or visitors make a record,” the Government edict says.
The change is designed to speed up contact tracing as during lower Alert Levels Kiwis have been poor at scanning QR codes when entering premises.
The change has left local businesses confused, and scrambling to acquaint themselves with the rules and work out how to comply.
Business association Destination Ōrewa Beach is aware of instances where business owners have asked someone to scan in and received an aggressive refusal.
Operations manager Hellen Wilkins says as the onus has been placed on the business owner, it is working through ways to get this message out to the community.
“We do not want our businesses held accountable for the actions of the minority,” Wilkins says. “It’s hard enough for businesses right now without adding aggressive and defiant customers into the mix as well.”
Feedback from local businesses shows a mixed response to the new rules.
Co-organiser of Silverdale Village Market and small business owner Heather Roycroft, says meeting the requirements will be a problem that could require putting a staff member or security at the entry, at significant extra cost. She says it could also impact on a business’ ability to be welcoming and non-judgmental.
Isabel Pasch, director of Bread and Butter in Coast Plaza, says there will be plenty of opportunities provided for customers to scan or sign in, but she will not instruct her staff to police whether people do it or not.
“The hospitality sector already has a huge staff shortage,” she says. “So no, I am not going to police it for the Government.”
Sandra Kennedy of Paraoa Brewing Company says her opinion is that the onus should be on the individual. The business has five entryways. She says trying to scan or trace everyone who enters Paraoa may mean having staff at all entrances during opening hours – an expensive exercise.
Café Manly owner Dave Matthews says taking on the role of enforcer could lead to trouble, particularly for younger members of staff.
Gill Bredl of Ten18 International raises the issue of privacy. “I can appreciate why Government would ask us to display a QR code but it should not be a requirement of businesses to ensure people are using it, or collect their data by hand,” Bredl says. “It goes against their privacy rights and I don’t want to be responsible for more customer data given the new privacy legislation. I’ve been made aware of a customer for whom it triggers an abusive situation where they were tracked and followed.”
Many others, including John Dale of Battery Technology NZ says it’s simple – scan in, or don’t come in – it’s imperative in order to keep the business and customers safe.
Michelle Mcdonald of All About People says poor QR scanning is one thing that can see us out of the situation we are in.
“Many businesses need to do better about making their QR posters more accessible to all,” she says.
Some businesses are unsure whether the rules actually require enforcement, or simply provision of the QR codes, as most are already doing.
Hibiscus Matters asked Worksafe, which told us they were still waiting for the order about what was actually expected of businesses, from the Ministry of Health.
A Worksafe spokesperson said until that came, they were unable to work out how the requirements actually differed from what was already in place.
Once that information is available, Hibiscus Matters will make it public.
