Walmart will start checking worker temps, providing masks and gloves
Source: Washington Post
Walmart will begin checking workers temperatures and providing them with gloves and masks, the retail giant announced Tuesday, stepping up its safety protocols as it hires roughly 5,000 employees a day to meet heightened demand during the coronavirus crisis.
To protect against spread of the novel coronavirus, Walmart is shipping infrared thermometers to all its stores so employees can have their temperatures checked when they report for work, the company announced in a blog post. The thermometers should arrive in three weeks.
Any associate with a temperature of 100.0 degrees will be paid for reporting to work and asked to return home and seek medical treatment if necessary, the blog post said. The associate will not be able to return to work until they are fever-free for at least three days.
Walmart will also make gloves and masks available to employees who want them, but said the masks will be high-quality masks, but not N95 respirators which should be reserved for at-risk health care workers. The masks will arrive in one to two weeks, but they will not be required for workers.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/31/walmart-hiring-temperatures-masks/
Although most of Walmarts stores have stayed open amid the pandemic, the retail giant has cut its hours and reduced or suspended some services to give employees more time to stock and sanitize.
The company has also taken steps to make its shopping experience more social-distancing friendly: It put up in-store reminders to stay 6 feet apart, enacted no-touch shopping procedures and installed sneeze and cough guards at registers.
duforsure
(11,885 posts)Especially essential people in the food industries, including all restaurants. Test kits when the fake president finally gets them to everyone, if he does.
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)Dry goods are in perfect condition.
Frozen foods are in excellent shape.
On the other hand, ricotta cheese and sour cream appear to have warmed up a bit, separating in the containers.
bucolic_frolic
(43,146 posts)My NJ Walmart was using gloves 3 weeks ago, not in nearby PA. And the younger employees were none too concerned about social distancing. I practically had to lurch to one side of the aisle to avoid them. What are "no touch" shopping procedures? Can I still grab what I want off the shelf?
Anyone here ventured to the store recently? Will I feel ridiculous in a dust mask and wayfarer sunglasses? I suppose it's sort of fashionable, and while I wear it for protection I hope it encourages others to wear also.
KatyaR
(3,445 posts)It wasn't too crowded, and most things were stocked back up, with the exception of TP and cleaning supplies. (For the second week in a row, I got the last can of corn in the veg aisle lol.) It was busy but not 2 pm busy, lots of personal shoppers and stockers. Many were wearing masks and gloves, and I tried to speak to as many as I could just to say hello. A few shoppers were wearing masks or face coverings of some kind, but I imagine that may increase as this goes on; this was during their senior shopping hour.
I was able to get some large hair bands to make some face masks, since there was no elastic available. I will probably be wearing that from now on when I go to public places.
The workers seemed to be in pretty good spirits overall. I hope these measures will help.
DallasNE
(7,402 posts)They should have started this 3-4 weeks ago, starting with the then hot spots then taking it nationwide. As it is, it won't even be in place for another 3 weeks.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)That's when they expect to have the thermometers.
BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)TexasBushwhacker
(20,185 posts)I have a friend who works at a Walmart in the Houston area. He has allergies and the oak pollen has been terrible. He had been sneezing all during his shift. They took his temperature and even though it was below normal, they still sent him home.
GeorgiaPeanut
(360 posts)A German scientist who tested several incoming passengers from abroad found that 60% of the people testing positive had no symptoms of any kind and they were the ones shedding the virus at the highest rate - even more than the sick ones.
DenverJared
(457 posts)People can just take a tylenol before work and the temperature will come down.
Marrah_Goodman
(1,586 posts)Both my housemates work at walmart in the grocery. I left home to stay with my bf during this because it would be to dangerous for me to stay there while they were still working. I worry for them all the time.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)And my heart aches for my former co-workers who are still working.