Saskatchewan's Opposition Leader is calling for more clarity around guidelines for protecting employees at essential workplaces.

Ryan Meili spoke outside a grocery store in Saskatoon on Thursday. He said it's important that essential businesses remain open to serve the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that it needs to be done in the safest way possible.

"Every company is trying to figure out how to do this, but everybody is making it up as they go along, just basically doing their best guesses," Meili said.

"We need the government to step in with clear guidelines: what's to be expected in terms of how to protect workers … how to protect customers and workers with physical distancing."

He acknowledged that businesses were trying hard to protect employees and customers, and said it was up to the government to create "across-the-board guidelines" so there's no variation from store-to-store.

Gail Mack, an employee at the grocery store where the NDP held the news conference, said she's still concerned about the number of people being allowed to shop at one time, despite the safeguards her employer has already taken.

"When you have too many people in the store, which I have definitely seen, there's not enough room for people to lineup and be safe," Mack said.