Mask video shows 'difficult decisions' front-line staff face in pandemic, says Colemans
Cellphone footage of a maskless woman being denied service at a St. John's grocery store has prompted discussion about how individual businesses can enforce their COVID-19 restrictions.
The video, which was recorded by a woman who declined to wear a mask while inside a Colemans location, has racked up thousands of views since being posted on social media last week.
Greg Gill, Colemans' vice-president of marketing, said the store's concern was for the safety of their employees.
"We immediately saw one of our supervisors who really just stepped out and did what we had asked him to do, and asked our team members to do, which is to try to explain our mandatory mask policy to anyone who looks to come into our stores," Gill said.
In the video, the woman says the store is refusing to serve her because she isn't wearing a mask. She claims a medical exemption for an unspecified reason, and says a cashier had been serving her without issue until a supervisor intervened.
The woman attempts to get the names of staff. "You're going to be put on notice for refusing me food," she says.
An employee identified as a supervisor explains that if the woman doesn't want to wear a mask, she can call ahead or order online, and store staff will bring her groceries out to her.
In online reaction to the video, some people applauded what they saw as someone standing up for personal freedoms, but others said it was selfish to not wear a mask in a public space, especially when other options are available for people who cannot wear one.
Non-medical masks have been mandatory at all indoor public spaces in Newfoundland and Labrador since August, under public health regulations. There are some exceptions for those with medical conditions.
Colemans' store policy is no mask, no service, but Gill said that doesn't mean those who can't wear a mask, or those who choose not to, aren't able to get their groceries.
"We will do everything we can to accommodate, and we'll offer curbside pickup and delivery options — anything we can to help you get your groceries," Gill said.
"But as of right now, we have to draw the line at: if you're going to come into our store, we expect you to wear a mask."
Support was 'really overwhelming'
The actions of the Colemans staff member was met with some initial backlash online, with a contingent of commenters deriding what they saw as the grocery store impeding personal freedoms.
"Not only did he have to endure that particular incident in real time, and try to stand his ground to assist the store staff and customers that were in the store at the time, but he also had to endure the initial negativity that came through social media on that incident," Gill said.
Despite a call to protest the Newfoundland-based grocery chain, a groundswell of online support for the store and its employees has had many praising the actions of the supervisor in the video.
For people showing up each day as essential workers, trying to maintain the safety of their guests with a customer service-based business is not an easy task, Gill said.
"It went from a very difficult and upsetting situation, to a very uplifting situation based on the contact that we received as a company, and that the supervisor received as well from friends, family, and members of our Colemans community," said Gill.
"It was really overwhelming and restores a little faith that even in difficult times, there are people that understand that there are difficult decisions to be made and that supervisor, and many of our team members, have to make those decisions every day."
'We understand it's difficult'
At Monday's COVID-19 briefing, Premier Andrew Furey said mask-wearing regulations are based on public health recommendations.
"We really encourage everybody to wear a mask, unless there's a contraindication, or you have a personal reason why not to wear a mask; for example, severe pulmonary issues or mental health issues," Furey said.
"But other than that, we strongly recommend that everybody wear a mask. It is one of the protections that we can apply to not just protect yourself, but to protect everybody else in the general public."
Gill said the incident at the store was an outlier, and most customers are respecting the mask policy.
"We're lucky in that we really haven't seen a lot of this stuff. Our store managers and supervisors and staff are well trained, they're excellent people, and they're very good at handling difficult situations with staff," Gill said. "And most of the people that come to our doors wear a mask."
Gill said there have been times where he has been in a rush and has forgotten to bring a mask to work but the store has disposable masks to offer to people without one.
"We understand it's difficult for some people, but at the end of the day, we think it's in the best interest of the public, our team members and our guests, to enforce this policy."
