Speaking over Easter weekend, Ken said: “The computer screen is slightly blurry, whether that is because I am wishing the numbers to be something different, tiredness from another sleepless night or just from my sheer tears of frustration, as I battle to save the jobs of those whose livelihoods I am responsible for.
“I am fed up with my MLAs telling me they understand my frustration, they don’t. And I don’t see them volunteering to come and tell my staff, who are the heart and soul of my business, what is reported in the media isn’t actually happening for two months, which by then may be too late for my business.
“Whilst saving the lives of those who have been struck down by this horrendous illness is of course the priority for all of us, running a hospitality business in the midst of a pandemic is also something that nobody can have been prepared for. I have been in hospitality for 34 years but nothing has prepared me for the last few weeks!”
Ken’s business began to feel the impact of the crisis when the Prime Minister announced publicly that people should not go to restaurants, pubs, cinemas and theatres. With no offer to assist or support these sectors, they were then demanded to close, at the start of a reasonably busy Friday night service and two days before the first bumper day for most businesses, Mother’s Day. The announcement made late enough that the Sunday roasts had all been bought! Then, early the following week came the demand for hotels not catering for key workers to close.
Ken adds: “As these announcements were peppered with mentions of rates holidays and ‘immediate’ grants for business alongside the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, I felt an initial sense of relief which quickly turned to alarm as I realised that a lot of the announcements were based on Westminster policies which may not follow through to Northern Ireland businesses.”
Upon examination of cash reserves and cashflow, Ken says it quickly became apparent that he could not sustain paying staff even 80% of their wages for long and there was little clarity on when payments were going to arrive. He took a difficult decision with agreement of his staff team to pay some only 50% of their furlough pay in order to compensate other members of staff who needed a bit extra.
“I haven’t even been able to pay very understanding suppliers but now with the applications for assistance not opening until 20 April, five weeks after the promise from the Prime Minister of ‘immediate’ support, I am sitting here at Easter while Stormont executives enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend staring at my cashflow forecast like staring into an abyss. I have no idea how I am going to be able to pay my staff anything for the last two weeks of April so I would appeal to our elected representatives to help my staff as they fight to keep a roof over their heads. Staff with aged and susceptible relatives, staff with young children, staff trying to work out how to be homeschool teachers, vulnerable staff with their own health issues who are having to self-isolate, staff who I am very soon going to have to tell they need to make a 40% paycheck last three weeks.”
Almost at the end of his tether, Ken says that despite the great work of people like Colin Neill from Hospitality Ulster and Joanne Stuart from the NI Tourism Alliance, he just doesn’t think the Executive wants to listen.
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