Seasonal Workers Start (In Quarantine); More Needed For Hire

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBDNL) superintendent Scott Tucker tells the Leelanau Ticker that 53 seasonal employees start today, June 1, “but they are starting in quarantine, and will not put a uniform on for another two weeks. We are protecting our own, so we are healthy to greet the public later this summer.”

In order for incoming employees to quarantine per the guidelines set by the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department and the U.S. Public Health Service — and to adhere to National Park Services guidelines for minimizing risk of Covid-19 exposure in shared housing — many SBDNL employees had to find alternative housing this season.

Tucker explains, “We have park housing within the Lakeshore for seasonal employees — on the mainland we have 62 beds in shared residences. When jobs were offered back in early winter, we told employees ‘we’ll have park housing for rent if you are interested.’ Then Covid-19 hit, and our 62 beds went down to 18 — the limiting factor being the number of bathrooms in our shared housing.”

To help fill the urgent housing gap, the Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation and the Sleeping Bear Dunes Gateways Council (SBDGC) helped put the word out to local resorts, vacation rental owners, and individuals in the community who might have separate living quarters for vetted Park Service employees. SBDGC president Mike Rivard says, “I believe the community response — those who very much appreciate the National Park Service — was the greatest.”

Tucker says he was able to share a list of 70+ housing opportunities with employees, and to his knowledge all have secured safe summer housing.

In total 100 seasonal employees — including campground fee collectors, natural resources staff, educational park rangers, and facilities crews — will start this month at the SBDNL, “all in quarantine to start, if moving here, and handed a package from our team and local health officer Lisa Peacock on procedures for no-contact deliveries and groceries. Most will be living alone. That’s going to be a challenge, as we are a built-in family that work together and play together. Today, for instance, I have on my calendar an all-staff kickoff BBQ, which is cancelled. My messaging now to staff is about your new work family and how take care of our own and our bigger community.”

As for an opening date for all Sleeping Bear Dunes accommodations, the National Park Service’s official stance is: “At this time, we are hopeful we will be able to open everything by July 1, but there are so many unknowns we don’t want to set false expectations.”

Also awaiting a full reopening this summer is The Homestead in Glen Arbor. According to the resort’s guest services manager Leah Moskovitz, “We are not currently open, due to the fact that short-term vacation rentals are still not allowed according to Governor Whitmer’s executive orders. At this time, we plan to open on the 13th of June unless the government says otherwise. We are already bringing back team members to help get the property ready and have created policies and procedures to ensure we are all doing our part to ensure we are staying safe while working.”

She adds, “To return to work, each team member will have Covid-19 training and will sign a ‘Return to Work Promise Letter’ where they agree to do their due diligence to ensure social distancing, wear masks, and follow new cleaning and sanitizing procedures.”

Moskovitz says that she has not heard anything about H-2B Visa hires, which typically make up a portion of The Homestead’s seasonal team. “We were approved for them before all of this started, but I haven’t heard of any updates.” She adds, “We are still hiring for this upcoming summer — housekeepers, laundry, inspectors, front desk, landscapers, maintenance and Beach Club staff.”

Elsewhere in Glen Arbor, Cherry Republic is gearing up for its own influx of seasonal employees — and the company is also still hiring. Andrew Moore, Director of Marketing at Cherry Republic, tells the Leelanau Ticker, “We have positions available in our Glen Arbor and Traverse City retail stores, as well as our production and fulfillment center in Empire.”

Moore says while last year Cherry Republic’s staff grew from 60 to 200 employees, “this year we’re expecting that number to be slightly lower.” At present, Moore is in limbo about their J-1 visas, meant for foreign students seeking job experience, training, education, and cultural exchange. “We have not heard, so we are not expecting to have them and are moving ahead with hires. If they can come, we will get creative and welcome them with open arms.”

Moore adds, “there’s still a bit of uncertainty surrounding all of our housing situations. We have a summer housing plan in place that follows CDC, Benzie-Leelanau County Health Department and OSHA guidelines, since it’s considered employer-based housing. We will take extra safety precautions and provide residents with everything they need to feel and be safe. We’re certainly taking it day-by-day at this point.”

He says so far employee training has gone well with the new safety protocols and processes that need to be followed. “Notably, we worked with the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center in Traverse City to create an online training module for all staff to participate in, which gives all employees the required information and safety updates they need to know in order to perform their jobs safely.”

As for the customer experience at Cherry Republic, “We've chosen to take it as an opportunity, and are looking at ways to safely innovate around the new rules. Many people know us for our fun-loving, whimsical atmosphere. We have made improvements to our customer experience so each customer that walks through our doors will still receive that unique and fun experience they know and love. And in Glen Arbor specifically, we will continue to utilize more and more of our outdoor space and gardens for new experiences.”

He adds, “More than ever, a lighthearted approach and resilient spirit allows us to find the fun and goodness in our days.”