Wednesday, April 29, 2020 How to Help Keep Retail Workers Safe While You Shop Many people continue to work hard and at their own personal risk to provide essential services to their communities during the pandemic, including retail workers. Here’s what you can do to keep them safe Locals Local 301 Local 501 Newsletters Sectors Retail CLAC represents many thousands of members who work in the retail industry in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. We want to give a special thank you to them as they continue to work to make sure there is food on the shelves at the grocery store, so we in turn can have food in our fridges and cupboards at home. These members are not only dealing with their everyday work, they are doing so while navigating the complexities of physical distancing in the workplace. But on top of that, they are also dealing with the public—which includes all of us. We all have a role to play in helping to keep these essential workers safe. 10 Things to Do When Shopping for Groceries Follow health guidelines in your province—do not go to the grocery store if you are sick! If you can’t avoid a cough or sneeze, be sure to do so in your elbow. Always maintain physical distancing around staff and other customers. If an employee is stocking items near something you would like, and you can’t maintain a safe distance while reaching for the product, ask staff from two meters away to allow you safe access to the area. Limit the amount of trips you make to the store. Plan ahead but don’t stockpile, and plan for alternative items in case something on your list is not in stock—stores are not getting everything they order. Send only one member of your household to pick up groceries. If you have one, wear a mask—if you can’t purchase one, make one from cloth. Respect requests made by employees; you may be asked to step back from an area to allow space for them to work or for other customers, or you may be asked to wait in a physical distancing line outside the store. Be patient. It may take a little longer to get though an aisle or to reach a product, but it is better to be patient to keep everyone safe. The safety of our front-line members working in retail is our collective responsibility. You might be interested in Will I Have Enough? 7 Feb 2025 Supporting Their Essential Service: Construction Workers, Volunteer Firefighters, and Healthcare Workers 6 Feb 2025 Managing Change 6 Feb 2025 Warning: Intersection Ahead! Listen with Caution . . . 5 Feb 2025