How Grocery Clerks Are At Risk of Developing Coronavirus Symptoms Without PPE

The novel coronavirus pandemic has had many unexpected effects on the way we live our lives, and many of us are having to make sacrifices in order to make ends meet and stay safe. If you are a grocery clerk, however, accomplishing both of those goals may seem impossible. According to Time, many grocery clerks are having to work in unsafe conditions without the proper protective equipment and without being able to take sufficient precautions.

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is essential to stopping the spread of this virus, but many grocery clerks are not provided PPE, according to the report, putting them and their families at great risk of becoming ill. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) do not include grocery clerks or other essential workers on its list of those who should be wearing PPE, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has stated that employers must provide and pay for PPE to keep employees safe from potential hazards, a rule that went into effect in 2008. 

With health professionals such as nurses and doctors running out of PPE and having to re-use or improvise their own DIY masks, it’s no surprise that grocery clerks have largely been left out of the conversation. However, reporting by Time, CNN, and Business Insider has shined a spotlight on the experiences of grocery clerks across the country, showing how serious the impact of not having PPE for these essential workers is to their health and mental well being.

Grocery Clerk Salary: Are the Low Wages Work the Risk? 

In the midst of this pandemic, grocery chains such as Kroger are increasing the hourly wage it pays its workers. However, as CNN reports, these changes are only for the short-term and presumably won’t do enough for those who experience lost wages from falling ill without insurance or who carry debt. Many workers have found themselves going from 15 hours per week to full-time as demand for their services becomes more frantic. Many people, as well as the grocery chains themselves, have been voicing their appreciation and respect for grocery clerks and the sacrifices they’re making, but each grocery clerk must decide whether or not they think the risk is worth it.

“There’s a certain amount of pride that comes with the job but definitely anxiety would be the overwhelming feeling for me right now,” Rebecca, a 35-year-old grocery clerk in Manhattan,  told Business Insider. 

A grocery clerk named Aidan told Time that while he appreciates the $2 per hour wage increase Kroger is providing, it’s only intended to last a few weeks. After that, Aidan will go back to making $10.50 an hour for this essential work. Aidan told Time this makes him feel “underappreciated,” a sentiment echoed by many other grocery clerks.

“I’m scared to go to work and worried about getting sick over a job that pays less than $12 per hour,” a South Carolina grocery clerk told Business Insider anonymously. “But I also feel like I can’t just stay home because the elderly need supplies and a kind word. It’s really a hard decision.”

How Are Supermarkets Protecting Grocery Clerks From Developing Coronavirus Symptoms? 

The efforts grocery chains are making to protect their grocery clerks vary from chain to chain — sometimes even from store to store, depending on supplies. Kroger, for instance, has added the $2 raise mentioned above as well as “additional emergency paid leave, new workplace safety measures, and other critical worker protections,” CBS News reports.

Some stores have transitioned to curbside pickup or delivery only while others have installed plastic shields and provided grocery clerks behind the counter with gloves and masks. Of course, some stores have done far less, and grocery clerks like Leilani Jordan claimed that no protections were offered. Jordan died after being hospitalized for the novel coronavirus.

“She (told me), ‘Mom, there is no masks here, there is no gloves, there is no hand sanitizer, ” Shepherd’s mother told CNN.

Grocery Clerk Coronavirus Cases 

Leilani Jordan is just one example of a grocery clerk who has died of COVID-19 after going to work without sufficient protection. A 23-year-old Pennsylvania grocery clerk told Business Insider that cases of COVID-19 in her workplace are all too common.

“We’ve had two cases at my store alone and I’ve worked alongside both of them in the last two weeks,” Rebecca said. “But because I can’t just get a test to make sure, I just keep working and waiting until symptoms show.”

Should You File a Coronavirus PPE Lawsuit?

OSHA guidelines state that employers are required to “protect you from workplace hazards that can cause injury or illness.” During this national health crisis, that means providing the proper protective equipment for each grocery clerk. If you have gone to work as a grocery clerk in unsafe conditions due to a lack of PPE, you may be eligible to file a Coronavirus PPE lawsuit. Employers owe employees a safe workplace, and if employees are forced to take risks with their health, they should be compensated appropriately.

Join a Free Coronavirus Essential Employees PPE Lawsuit Investigation

Essential workers in California who have not been provided PPE by their employers may qualify to join a free coronavirus work safety class action lawsuit investigation.

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