What It’s Like to Work in a Grocery Store During a Pandemic

By Victoria Taylor

The spread of Corona Virus has deeply affected countries all around the world and now, it’s wreaking havoc in the U.S. One thing that has stayed constant though, is grocery stores. Almost all grocery stores are still open because of course even during a pandemic people need food.

I work in a grocery store and have experienced the changes in daily life firsthand. Since this outbreak is like nothing most people have ever experienced in their lives, there is an enormous amount of uncertainty as to what will happen next. People are scared, and rightfully so. One thing I have realized that most people tend to forget is that the people that are still working in gocery stores are there for you and to help you. Customers often forget that the employees that work in service industries are people too. We are under the same amount of stress, if not more, as the rest of society.

While many are scared to even go out on their weekly shopping trip, grocery workers are there everyday. In the store I work at, every person that enters is required to wear a mask. I wear gloves for my entire shift and change them often and especially when I handle cash. This week it will become mandatory for every employee to take their temperature when they clock in for their shift. If this doesn’t sound disturbing enough, we have to be in contact with hundreds of people everyday. Especially cashiers.

Even with all of this, we still deal with customers who refuse to wear a mask, who refuse to believe the virus is real, customers who blame us for items being out of stock, and customers who are just plain rude to employees. The point I am trying to make is that, no matter how stressed you are or worried about the virus, just remeber that every person is going through the same situation as you. We are all human beings and deserve to be treated like it. So just remember, when you go out to shop for food and feel vulnerable or feel the need to blame someone or something for your frustrations, grocery workers should not be your outlet.