by Tolu Aladajebi

guest writer

The past 18 months have been a whirlwind and extremely difficult for us all.  As health care, business, economies, and our personal lives shifted during the Covid-19 global pandemic, we were confronted with an uncertain reality about our future. The hospitality industry was also deeply affected by the pandemic, as hospitality businesses either shut down completely or laid off a significant number of employees.  

More recently, as restrictions start to slowly lift and travelling is within our reach, the industry has started to create reopening plans and is safely recalling staff members back to work. Perhaps, more prevalent at this moment are increasing discussions about vaccination requirements in many cities and how this will affect the hospitality industry as a whole. As Black hospitality consultant, I am once again forced to consider how this shift will affect those working within the hospitality industry, particularly BIPOC staff. In an industry where we are often isolated or unsupported, entrusting the additional labour of enforcing mask mandates and vaccine passports on hospitality staff creates additional risks to one’s physical and mental health.

BIPOC hospitality workers in restaurants, hotels, bars and other venues, have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. “Black hospitality industry workers [in the US] lost jobs at a higher rate than industry employees of other races during the COVID-19 pandemic,” reports the Castell Project in their 2021 report on Black representation in hospitality.

Both historically and in my own experience, BIPOC staff in client-facing roles are often confronted and challenged by customers. The power dynamic is exacerbated when these customers are white and middle class, aware of the power they hold over low-wage BIPOC workers. Hospitality and retail staff are often on the frontlines of hostility and resistance as patrons take out their frustrations on staff members. While masks and vaccination records are crucial to keeping everyone safe and putting the pandemic behind us, we have to remember that hospitality staff and frontline workers will be facing yet another challenge that cannot be overlooked. Enforcing vaccine passports and mask mandates becomes another example of the potential risk and harm that BIPOC staff have to face alongside other institutional challenges (including microaggressions and discrimination).

In mainstream news and on social media, we have witnessed several examples of predominately white patrons expressing hostility towards vaccine passports and claims that these requirements infringe on their rights. More so, the growing number of those who oppose masks and vaccinations also view federal and locally sanctioned mandates as a form of “segregation”. This is not new - anti-vaccination movements have long been intertwined with racism and white supremacy. 

Vaccine hesitancy in BIPOC communities may be rooted in a legitimate fear based on histories of medical oppression and experimentation. In contrast, white and European-descendant communities have continually benefited from Western medicine. As Paula Larsson explains, “the medical oppression of non-white communities was ignored by anti-vaccination leaders, who instead used their platforms to retain the medical freedoms of dominant white communities.” In 2021, we see the same pattern continuing. While there may be legitimate fear from communities who have been experimented on, sterilized, and violated in medical settings, the loudest anti-vaccination voices are those with the most privilege and the least to fear.

Aside from the obvious public health impacts of the anti-vaccination movement, the unfounded anger of the movement’s proponents often manifest in violence towards frontline and hospitality workers. And very quickly, this spills over into racist rhetoric towards BIPOC staff. In Kelowna a  security guard experienced racist threats; in Toronto, a business owner was called a “Nazi” for opting out of indoor dining, in the UK, health workers are reporting a rise in physical and verbal attacks.

While Canada is only now implementing a nationwide program for vaccinations, or “vaccine passports”, the country has spent the past several months ensuring that safety measures are in place to protect all citizens. While the industry considers the best approach to enforcing new vaccine passport policies, it is critically important for industry leaders to understand the increasing risks, dangers, anxiety and trauma that may arise when asking BIPOC staff to enforce masks and vaccine passports. It is important that this task is not left only up to BIPOC staff and that there are proper policies and procedures put in place to ensure safety when and if there is resistance from guests or other colleagues. As an extension of ongoing conversations about anti-racism in the workplace, so too must policies ensure that BIPOC staff feel completely supported. As some hospitality organizations are making it mandatory for their staff to be fully vaccinated, the same effort should be in place to ensure that staff members remain safe.

This is a call to action for industry leaders and executives to break social and systemic barriers and understand the different ways that white privilege can emerge in everyday encounters.

As the rollout of vaccine passports approaches, here are some ways that you can show up for your BIPOC staff:

1. Be aware of the impact that enforcing vaccine passports will have on your BIPOC staff.

2. Openly advocate for your BIPOC staff.

3. Provide them the support they need.

4. Ensure that additional safety and security measures are in place for all staff members, but most especially BIPOC staff.

5. Understand that hostility towards mask and vaccine requirements can manifest as an extension of white privilege.

6. Create SOPs that support mandatory masks and vaccine passports. 

7. Address increasing policy and measures with staff and listen to their suggestions and concerns around its implementation.

It is crucial to recognize the impact this pandemic has had on hospitality workers. Remember that we are all learning and we are all trying to keep ourselves and others safe. Be kind.

Tolu Aladejebi

Tolu has more than 10 years of experience in the hotel management industry, five of which have been in senior management positions within Canada. Prior to joining Four Seasons, she served in managerial roles for an array of hotel chains which included Delta, Hyatt Place and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

Through this experience, she has become well-familiar with the gaps in representation, diversity & inclusivity, and the absence of dialogue surrounding anti-racist practices. Black in Hospitality aims to work with organizations to fill these gaps, in turn, improving the work experience for your team and the visitor experience for your guests.

Tolu was born and raised in Scarborough, ON, and moved to Vancouver Island in 2010 to finish her degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management. After moving around a bit, she found herself back in B.C., currently living in Vancouver. Tolu is a lover of music and food.