BRUCE WILLIAMS
GREATER VICTORIA – I was out for dinner recently, enjoying a wonderfully prepared meal. The service was friendly and efficient, and our server noted we’d come at a good time. Sure enough, as we paid our cheque and got up to make our way into the warm evening, a rush of diners had arrived.
The staff put on their best face but it was a challenge for them to get tables cleared and to seat and serve all of their new customers. For the most part, patrons were patient and understanding. But one or two became vocal about having to wait a few extra minutes, chastising employees who were clearly working as fast as possible.
Knowing how hard it is for so many employers to find and keep staff, I decided I couldn’t let the grousing go unchallenged. In my most disarming voice, I reassured the grumpy party that the meal was worth the wait and reminded them about endemic staffing shortages and the need to be grateful to those people who showed up to work.
We’re facing a crisis as our economy recovers and businesses reopen with fewer restrictions. Many employers are trying to meet the demand of a public that’s longing to reconnect and renew relationships. However, with not enough available workers, we’re seeing reduced hours at restaurants and hearing about delays with construction projects. Even BC Ferries was forced to cancel sailings one evening because of staffing shortages.
Some of these challenges are temporary and represent growing pains that come with suddenly ramping up our social lives. In a matter of weeks, we’ve gone from Zoom calls in our lounge pants back to lunch meetings at our favourite downtown diner. With so many employers trying to quickly find staff, we can expect some adjustments as businesses compete for talent while sorting out what payroll they need to meet demand over the short, medium and long term.
There is no simple answer. It’s convenient to blame low wages, or government relief programs that pay people not to work, or to scapegoat young people and lament society’s lost work ethic, but those aren’t solutions.
The struggle to find and keep workers was a problem well before the pandemic and is forecast to get much worse in the next 10 years. With tens of thousands of new jobs being created on Vancouver Island and an aging population retiring en masse, we need investments that will make our region more enticing for people looking to set up roots.
Targeted immigration is one way. Accessible child care is another — this could be a huge opportunity if we treat it as an incentive to draw young families to the Island. And, of course, affordable housing is a major part of the puzzle that requires thinking outside the box.
We definitely need more housing supply, as well as better transportation planning to ensure as much of our region as possible is accessible to commuters. An example of opportunity is the creation of workforce housing on the Saanich Peninsula. There is a significant concentration of workplaces and jobs in that area of the Capital Region. However, insufficient nearby housing supply means workers must travel a distance to work, creating traffic issues and unnecessary vehicle emission.
Non-market housing that decouples the cost of living in our region from the cost of real estate is another approach. Think of this as investments in student and workforce housing that allows young people to find a home that fits their modest budgets. Even traditionally middle-class occupations such as teachers, police officers and government workers require homes they can afford. We’re seeing some innovative approaches to this in the private sector and need to keep encouraging policies that support housing for all income levels.
All of these must be priorities in the months and years ahead. For now, we can start to make a difference by understanding we are in a crisis, and all of us need to show respect and admiration for the folks who show up to do jobs in high demand. A little gratitude goes a long way to making someone’s day a little brighter. The person doing the work will thank you for the courtesy, and their employer will too.
Bruce Williams is CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
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