When a proof-of-vaccine policy was announced, Juliana Murphy knew it would be another burden she91裸聊视频檇 face at work.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e had grown men yell and raise a fist at me just because of contact tracing,91裸聊视频� says the waitress at a Halifax breakfast restaurant. 91裸聊视频淚 knew asking them to show me proof of their COVID-19 shots would be worse.91裸聊视频�

Vaccine passports are emerging as the latest challenge for restaurant workers in Canada, as many face verbal abuse, sexual harassment and racism from customers.

Restaurant staff across the country say while most customers are respectful of the new vaccine requirements, others are argumentative and angry.

They describe a work environment where they are routinely grilled about COVID-19 vaccine certification policies, with a small number of customers becoming belligerent and intimidating.

They describe the added work of enforcing COVID-19 restrictions as exhausting and stressful.

In response, some restaurant operators have hired security guards to review vaccination records and identification before allowing customers to sit at a table.

But in most cases, the responsibility falls to front-of-house staff 91裸聊视频� a largely young, part-time and low-wage workforce that91裸聊视频檚 already under strain from an industry-wide labour shortage.

91裸聊视频淎 lot of the hosts working at downtown restaurants are young women and it91裸聊视频檚 kind of scary for them to be essentially bouncing at the front door,91裸聊视频� says Sean Bridge, a part-time server, bartender and host in Toronto. (The restaurants where Bridge and Murphy work are not being named to prevent them from being targeted by anti-vaccination efforts.)

91裸聊视频淵ou can get a really 91裸聊视频� arrogant crowd around here,91裸聊视频� Bridge says. 91裸聊视频淚 hate that the onus of enforcing these rules has come down to restaurant staff.91裸聊视频�

For an industry slammed by pandemic public health measures, the vaccine passport rules have been another blow for bars and restaurants.

While they91裸聊视频檙e scrambling to stay open and doing their best to enforce the vaccine mandates, the restrictions have further increased the workload for staff and hurt sales, according to an industry group.

Restaurants Canada found in a recent survey that more than half of restaurant operators say their employees have experienced hostile confrontations from people opposed to the new rules.

The survey also found that 20 per cent of restaurants have lost staff and more than 60 per cent say they need to hire more workers.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 restrictions on top of restrictions,91裸聊视频� says Todd Barclay, president and CEO of Restaurants Canada. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 very labour intensive and time consuming to implement 91裸聊视频� restaurants are losing money.91裸聊视频�

The industry group says restaurants should be compensated for the cost of enforcing vaccine mandates, which would help them hire more workers. It is also calling for capacity and distancing restrictions to be lifted now that vaccine requirements are being enforced.

Still, front-line restaurant workers suggest some customers may be forging vaccine records.

91裸聊视频淚 had one table that I overheard later in the evening say that they had forged their documents,91裸聊视频� says Bridge. 91裸聊视频淚 had looked at their forgeries, and there91裸聊视频檚 zero way to tell they were fake.91裸聊视频�

On the flip side, he says he almost didn91裸聊视频檛 allow someone who had the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine into the restaurant because he didn91裸聊视频檛 realize it only required one dose to be fully vaccinated.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e trying to enforce these rules but we91裸聊视频檝e had zero training,91裸聊视频� Bridge says. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a really uncomfortable situation to be in.91裸聊视频�

In Halifax, Murphy says her restaurant provided no training but left a pamphlet on the front desk about the proof-of-vaccine policy for staff to use as a guideline.

91裸聊视频淭he hard thing is, the vaccine records are different for every province,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淚t takes time to verify and some customers get upset. They really do believe it91裸聊视频檚 the restaurant imposing this.91裸聊视频�

The waitress says while younger people, seniors and women generally tend to be understanding, she91裸聊视频檚 had multiple hostile interactions with middle-aged men.

91裸聊视频淪ome of them seem to take this as an opportunity to be racist,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e repeatedly noticed that some customers give our Syrian and Indian employees a much harder time. They get really angry when they ask for their proof of vaccines.91裸聊视频�

Murphy says she does her best to help de-escalate these situations, but that the amount of money she makes has dropped.

91裸聊视频淏y the time they get through the front door to my table, they91裸聊视频檙e already in this horrible mood and complaining about things that have nothing to do with our actual restaurant service or quality. They91裸聊视频檝e already made the decision that they91裸聊视频檙e going to tip less.91裸聊视频�

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Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press

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