How are supermarket workers getting on?

[TheClitterati]

Are there any stats?

I ask as every time I go to the supermarket most staff are mask free, not really social distancing, standing with colleagues chatting etc. Till workers are behind screens but those on shop floor are not.

I'm thinking they must, as a group, come in contact with, or at least within 2 meters of, many many more people than most of us who are WFH AND/or not going out much and making an effort to be socially distant.

Are these supermarket workers catching the virus at work? And if so why aren't they/their employers taking more precautions?

Or are they not catching the virus at a greater rate than gen pop? And if so this is good news isn't it?

[bailey999]

I work at a supermarket but have been off for the past 11 weeks as my husband is shielding. I spoke to my manager a few days ago and she said they have had zero cases amongst the staff. I was very surprised as I thought it would rip through them all. Im due back next week and feel much less anxious about returning now.

[Bebbanburger]

I'm in exactly the same position as Bailey. I have been off shielding my husband and go back a week on Monday. I'm dreading it but it does sound like nobody at work has had it.
Before my husband got the shielding letter I tried to work wearing a mask but found it very difficult. My job is quite a physical one, not on the tills, and my glasses were steaming up and I ended up feeling sick after a couple of hours of it. I have a lot of anxiety.about going back.

[TheClitterati]

I find this really interesting and also very encouraging.

Best of luck for both of you going back to work.

[CeeJay81]

I work in a supermarket and feel ok with it, don't yet wear a mask but... I live in a rural area with few cases. What I'm worried about is when Wales opens up more because we do get a fair amount of tourists here from England and that is when I'll worry.

I'm not sure the figures for supermarket workers in general though.

[NowImLivinInExeter]

My sister works in a supermarket and they've had hardly any sickness in the last 8 weeks. Two cases where colleagues had mild coughs so had to self isolate. That's it.

[NowImLivinInExeter]

She is in London by the way, in one of the worst hit boroughs.

[TheClitterati]

I'm in Kent. The last few weeks the supermarkets have been much busier. The Morrison's in particular is busy - all the staff seem very happy and relaxed in there. No masks, not much social distancing.

[mynameiscalypso]

My DM was talking to one of the staff in her local supermarket (a smallish M&S in a badly hit borough of London) and apparently a lot of the staff were off sick in Jan/Feb before lockdown but have been totally fine since.

[blankethog]

Work in a supermarket. A few of us have been off, lots just with 1-2 very mild symptoms or with children who have temps etc rather than confirmed cases. I had a positive covid-19 test but as far as I know I'm the only 1 in the store who has. None of us socially distance from each other really but we do from customers, it's really really hard to socially distance from colleagues when some of the stock is 2 person lift etc.

[blankethog]

Another point is LOTS of staff had sickness with bad chests and coughs in Jan-Feb time, we're exposed to the public a lot so chances are it's already done the rounds much earlier for us

[LavenderLilacTree]

I think it's good that they are only in brief contact with customers and are allowed to wear masks.

[susanB86]

I feel so proud of supermarket workers! My question is why aren't Tesco etc provides their worker some gloves or face masks? ... They are just following government's nonsense. One of my neighbour works there got sick but luckily she recovered after 3 weeks.

[blankethog]

We are being provided with masks and gloves if we want them. I work for a large supermarket chain.

[TheClitterati]

thats good to hear blankethog
I would think supermarkets have to provide staff with these basics.

[puffinandkoala]

Sainsburys said at one point they had 25% of staff off either ill or self-isolating and a couple (about 3) weeks ago it had dropped to 15%.

Maybe they've all had it by now and are immune.

[Kazzyhoward]

Thing is that the lockdown has massively reduced the spread in the community. Where it's still spreading are hospitals and care homes. As lockdown eases, it'll be out in the community again, and shop workers etc will start to get it again. It's actually been pretty safe for everyone over the past couple of months due to the lockdown which has effectively protected shop workers.

[Deelish75]

When I got my delivery a couple of weeks ago I was chatting to the driver who reckoned he had it back in March (wasn’t tested) he thinks he’d picked it up from the shop floor or warehouse (places where he’d mixed with people the most) but couldn’t be certain as it was spreading pretty rampantly at that time.

As pp says the spread is now mainly in hospitals and care homes, there’s very little out in the community.

[MereDintofPandiculation]

According to ONS, fewer than 1 in a thousand has coronavirus.