As the coronavirus pandemic gets more intense with each passing day, it's time to acknowledge some absolute heroes among us: grocery store workers.
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Grocery stores are busier than ever, and their employees are putting themselves in harm's way every single day to make sure the rest of us stay healthy, safe, and properly fed. They deserve our endless respect and gratitude.
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And given how chaotic the stores are these days, I wanted to know what customers can do to make the lives of grocery workers a little bit easier and safer. So I spoke with an anonymous employee at a major US grocery chain to get some insight from the front lines.
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FYI, this person works as a cashier, bagger, stockperson, and cleaner at their store. Here are some tips they gave me:
10. And don't ask them to "check in the back" for out-of-stock items, either.
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Employees are working hard to get items onto the shelves as soon as shipments come in. There's nothing hiding in that mythical "back room" customers are always asking about.
TL;DR: Keep your distance, follow the rules, and don't be a jerk. Let's all do our part, please!
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Oh, and P.S.: If you want ANOTHER way to support your local grocery workers, look up what minimum wage is in your state. Is it livable? If not, now's a good time to push your representatives for a better minimum wage. Times like this remind us that the workers we rely on most are often paid the least. Just a lil' food for thought. Goodbye!
