Managers pulling pints and washing dishes to keep doors open in Hanmer Springs

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

From reporter Liz McDonald:

School holiday visitors and staff sicknesses are putting further stress on Hanmer Springs businesses already struggling to find workers.

The North Canterbury township has had to manage without the backpackers it traditionally depends on as a temporary workforce, leaving accommodation and tourism business owners run off their feet.

At the Rustic cafe and tapas bar on the main street, owners Stacey and Zane Inglis are putting in 12 or 13 hour days, seven days a week.

Stacey Inglis said they had “shipped the kids off to their nana” while they cover long shifts starting at 5am for the duration of the school holidays.

“It’s been very busy, we are trying to keep it together. Staffing is a huge issue in Hanmer and everyone is short at the moment.

“Normally we rely on backpackers to take on jobs.”

Zane Inglis said he was working as “part chef, part dishwasher”, as well as filling other roles, to keep the doors open and customers happy.

The cafe has five staff, down from the normal seven or eight, and some of those have been off sick.

Some businesses in the town have shut up shop because of staff illness, while others are carrying signs asking customers to be patient.

Businesses with the doors closed because of staff sickness when the Northern Outlook visited on Monday included A-Maze-N-Golf mini-golf and maze, and Mumbles Cafe.

Hanmer Hospitality Ltd owns five bars and restaurants in the town, but sometimes has to close at least one to keep the others sufficiently staffed.

Hanmer Hospitality director Alan McNabb said they were already stretched with roles not filled, and now winter illnesses and Covid were hitting the staff they had. Some former staff were even coming in to help out, he said.

“We start every day thinking things are fine, and then we’ve got three staff down stick. On Saturday, we were three chefs short, in the middle weekend of the school holidays.

“The managers all just have to roll their sleeves up, we either have our hands in the sink or we’re pulling pints.”

Losing the backpacker employment market because of the pandemic had affected the whole town, he said.

“They’d come here travelling from somewhere like England, want to work as much as they could for a few months, then move on.

“Young Kiwis don’t want to live in a small town, or work weekends. That’s when we’re busy.”

The company is now paying staff double time after 10pm on Saturdays to get enough people for late shifts. They also have accommodation available to try and attract staff.

McNabb said that from a resident population of about 1000, the town swells to between 4000 and 5000 during holiday periods, and 6000 when the town is at its fullest.

“Every day is a challenge.”

Hanmer Springs thermal pools and spa manager Graeme Abbot said they were “managing to scramble through”, despite being short of workers.

On some days 10% to 15% of employees at the complex had been absent due to illness, he said.

“It’s harder to get some people in, especially staff that need to be qualified like lifeguards and staff therapists.

“In Hanmer, if we are being stretched, so is everyone else in town.”