Some restaurant workers say they have all kinds of concerns over going back to work with new restrictions, public health measures and unknown factors.
Montreal-area restaurants can reopen their dining rooms June 22 while those in the rest of the province can do so as of Monday.
Some restaurants are taking a wait-and-see approach while others are scrambling to recall their employees and try to reopen.
Kaitlin Doucette, sommelier at Foxy restaurant and wine buyer for the Olive and Gourmando restaurant group, said they're not reopening for dine-in service just yet even though she's anxious to get back to work - though not under the new conditions that will include masks and visors.
"Really maintaining that magic and atmosphere and in service seems to be very difficult while maintaining two metres of distance, wearing these heavy barriers," said Doucette in an interview with CJAD 800.
As co-founder of the Montreal Restaurant Workers Relief Fund, Doucette's been getting messages from other restaurant workers expressing worry and alarm over things such as travelling by public transport every day to get to work or possibly having to police their clients with new restrictions.
"It's quite frightening to have to undertake these things, never mind that this sector is a very precarious workforce that has a lot of marginalized people working within it already that are already at risk and have insecure wages and things like that," said Doucette.
"Unfortunately that is the reality - that some workers who are facing income instability will feel like they're in a very compromised position and have to go back to work in a way that perhaps will jeopardize their safety."
Doucette said they will be holding an online webinar with an employment lawyer to discuss workers' concerns and rights.