There is no other option but to close on Sunday

More and more due to labor shortages and epidemic fatigue, more and more merchants and restaurants are posting that they are “closed” on Sundays or another day of the week to free their employees.

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“This is not entirely a human decision and a business decision,” explains Geneviève Gagnon, head of Gagnon hardware stores located specifically in Laurentians, Outauais and Montérégie.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic, his company has decided to put an end to 7 days a week and take Sunday off, allowing its employees to rest during periods of uncertainty at first and there were too many hardware stores. Excitement.

Faced with positive consequences, she had no intention of going back.

He explains that his company can easily attract employees in the face of labor shortages, and can “dilute” its expertise less to provide better service to customers.

Many hardware stores like his will be closed on Sundays.

Also, the Quebec Hardware and Building Materials Association continues to ask the government to close its entire business on that day.

Difficulty for restaurants

However, entrepreneurs do not always make such a decision easily, as proven by the advice of many traders. The Registration (See other texts below)

The L’Express restaurant, a real company in Montreal, was open every day except Christmas, and is now closed two days a week, Sunday and Monday, due to the epidemic.

“We have the impression that we have not accomplished our mission, regrets the owner Mario Prosoid. It hurts us and our customers a lot.”

He is “bending backwards” to find the staff he needs to open at least one more day, but he is still far from the target as he is losing “a third” of his regular income.

“We have not worked with more than half the staff. We have had announcements everywhere for over a year, to no avail,” Mr. Prosoid notes.

A day off

In Quebec, ImMédia resto-pub is experiencing a similar situation. The director, Marianne de Angeles, has to close on Sundays, otherwise he will not be able to retire.

“For us, it’s a solution, not really because we’ve been on top of our business, but the only way we can stop it,” he explains.

In the restaurant industry in general, labor shortages are so severe that closing days in recent years are “common,” says Martin Vesina, of the Association of Restoration Quebec.

In August 2021, two-thirds of Cubists in the CROP poll agreed to close non-essential businesses on Sundays. The Legault government, however, closed the door on imposing this measure, which divided the various industries.

Open more and less often

Business is spinning

A gift shop in the town of Joliette in Lanaudière, which has not been open on Sundays for seven years, has decided to do this on Mondays without major financial loss.

“It did not affect our revenue. We explained it to our customers. They understood it well. They will come back for other days,” he says. Claudine Coutu (Left), co-owner with his daughter, Carolyn CognonFrom Amand’s store.

“Most often, on Mondays, they retire or work 3-4 days a week,” he said.^Me Cognon.

However, the store is open seven days a week in December for the Joliet Christmas Market.

– Simon Desurolt, Collaboration Special

Time for family

Better quality of life and family time means a lot Sylvain Hull-GelinasOwner of Unibrix Pharmacy in Louisville, Mauritius.

“I may be primitive, but I think it’s useful for human beings as a trend that is prevalent in other companies. It allows people to spend a day with their loved ones on the weekends, when you’ve closed on Sunday.

The 23-year-old pharmacist began closing his store on Sundays in March 2020 when COVID-19 struck.

He wanted his employees to retire during this stressful period, but he also realized that this decision would be useful in the context of labor shortages.

“Automatic weekend vacation is an asset to attract employees.”

– Louis-Antoine Lemire, Special Collaboration

Helped by their children

The Lebanese restaurant in Saint-Bruno-de-Monterville, on the south coast of Montreal, was due to close first on Sunday, and then on Monday after the outbreak.

The son and sister of the owners, who have degrees in marketing and finance, respectively, at Concordia University, find it difficult to get enough staff to come to work full-time.

“My parents gave me a lot in my life, he explains Steve Medledge. This is the least help I can do Business. ⁇

“Working in a restaurant hurts my children, who have wasted so much time studying and graduating in the field of their choice,” laments his father, Marwan Madlej.

Business loses a lot of revenue as it closes two days a week and is eagerly waiting for new arrivals Collection of Education and Profession.

A temporary decision becomes permanent

It is noteworthy that despite the reduction in working hours, there is a shortage of staff Andre Roberz and Josie PilotOwners of the Sand-O-Fates Party in Quebec.

Since the outbreak began, the store’s schedule has changed. It will be closed on Sundays and Mondays and time restricted on Thursdays and Fridays.

Could not reopen as before due to lack of adequate staff. We already work 50 hours a week. That’s enough. “

They had to drop the reopening on Sunday, which was a “very lucrative” day. Due to lack of manpower they had to drop some aspects related to the events sector.

“After all, we’re still here. That’s our livelihood. This is our baby.”

– Diane Tremble

A mental health problem

Marianne de Angeles and her mother have not decided to close their restaurant on the first Sunday of 2019, but on the first Monday of next year.

“This is a new fact,” said Marianne, who has been with L’ImMédia, a restaurant-pub in Quebec for 30 years.

“There is an advantage, it protects our mental health, he adds. We have a good team, but it’s very difficult to manage staff. People have a lot of demands,” she breathes.

To give its staff rest and relaxation, the restaurant construction will be closed between the holidays and Christmas and New Year.

According to M^Me From Angeles, this trend is right here.

– Diane Tremble