Students Working In Essential Businesses
By Sydney Teves and Isabella Wight
By Sydney Teves and Isabella Wight
Forcing the world to come to a screeching halt, the coronavirus pandemic has caused many businesses to close until further notice. This has resulted in the termination of millions of Americans. Essential businesses have been sent scrambling, making adjustments and taking extra precautions to keep their employees safe. With the unemployment rate expected to pass 30 percent, it will top the rate during the Great Depression which had a peak of 24.9 percent.
Some employees at these businesses have taken on more hours, more pay or even stopped working completely for the time-being. Target employee Diego Martinez, 11, has seen an increase in both his wages and the measures taken to ensure his safety.
“For working during this time, they have increased my pay by two dollars. When working, I always wear gloves, and they require every team member at Target to wear a mask which we can bring, or they provide for free. I clean my workstation frequently at any time possible for my safety and of our guests,” said Martinez.
On May 18, Santa Clara County announced that they would allow retail stores to open for curbside pick up on Friday, May 22. Restaurants have been especially careful by enforcing the guidelines as well as transitioning to take out only to ensure the safety of both customers and employees. Zori Boyechko, 11, works at Chick-fil-A and is practicing the recommended safety measures at her work place.
“We’ve been taking more precautions such as wearing masks and changing our gloves often. We also try to stand six feet away from our guests, even though we aren’t always able to,” said Boyechko.
Some essential workers have noticed the increasing hecticness of their workplaces becoming busier than ever and how that has affected how people practice the guidelines at these establishments. One of these employees is Katrena Thompson, 12, who works at Safeway as a florist.
“Working is pretty stressful right now because people come in a lot more often than you’d think and there were especially a lot of people on Mother's Day. I’m pretty sure there was no social distancing at all,” said Thompson.
Boyechko is observing the same behavior at her restaurant as well.
"When quarantine started, our Chick-fil-A was not busy at all. But as time passed, more and more people started coming. Our drive-thru broke records because of the amount of people coming through every day,” said Boyechko.
Although stores are beginning to reopen in limited capacities, many of the guidelines in place are expected to continue to be followed for the safety of essential workers and the general public health.
“I hope things get better and that more people stay indoors so we can have less restrictions. The restrictions have become stronger now, and masks are more required,” said Thompson.
Some employees at these businesses have taken on more hours, more pay or even stopped working completely for the time-being. Target employee Diego Martinez, 11, has seen an increase in both his wages and the measures taken to ensure his safety.
“For working during this time, they have increased my pay by two dollars. When working, I always wear gloves, and they require every team member at Target to wear a mask which we can bring, or they provide for free. I clean my workstation frequently at any time possible for my safety and of our guests,” said Martinez.
On May 18, Santa Clara County announced that they would allow retail stores to open for curbside pick up on Friday, May 22. Restaurants have been especially careful by enforcing the guidelines as well as transitioning to take out only to ensure the safety of both customers and employees. Zori Boyechko, 11, works at Chick-fil-A and is practicing the recommended safety measures at her work place.
“We’ve been taking more precautions such as wearing masks and changing our gloves often. We also try to stand six feet away from our guests, even though we aren’t always able to,” said Boyechko.
Some essential workers have noticed the increasing hecticness of their workplaces becoming busier than ever and how that has affected how people practice the guidelines at these establishments. One of these employees is Katrena Thompson, 12, who works at Safeway as a florist.
“Working is pretty stressful right now because people come in a lot more often than you’d think and there were especially a lot of people on Mother's Day. I’m pretty sure there was no social distancing at all,” said Thompson.
Boyechko is observing the same behavior at her restaurant as well.
"When quarantine started, our Chick-fil-A was not busy at all. But as time passed, more and more people started coming. Our drive-thru broke records because of the amount of people coming through every day,” said Boyechko.
Although stores are beginning to reopen in limited capacities, many of the guidelines in place are expected to continue to be followed for the safety of essential workers and the general public health.
“I hope things get better and that more people stay indoors so we can have less restrictions. The restrictions have become stronger now, and masks are more required,” said Thompson.