Grocery store workers hazard pay

MunoRN, RN · Feb 13, 2021

13 minutes ago, brandy1017 said:

I do believe healthcare workers deserve hazard pay, particularly those that are working on covid wings. The federal govt has given billions out to hospitals to help and they are supposed to spend that money on their staff. My system got over a billion and still doesn't give hazard pay. Wonder where all the money went!

The cumulative hospital supplements for Covid average about $50 k for each hospital in the US which is still well below the additional costs.

vintagegal, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Feb 14, 2021

I chose my profession and I understand risks. I don’t expect anything. If we go down this rabbit hole of thinking, then I expect hazard pay to be given to any convenience store clerk who works graveyard or in a bad area of town.

Closed Account 12345 · Feb 14, 2021

No. Why would I ever begrudge a frontline worker (or anyone) a good thing during this difficult season? I'm happy when good things happen to people, especially when the good things have zero negative impact on others.

Community members are not harmed by the fact that their grocery store workers made a small raise. Nurses are not harmed by the fact that grocery store workers made a small raise.

Why in the world would this irritate anyone?

There's been no shortage of praise and recognition of nurses this year. You can find the stories on any news page. You can read about nurses being flown to the Super Bowl.

If you don't like your wages, take it up with your manager- not out on grocery store workers.

1gr8trnstudent, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 14, 2021

I appreciate all the feedback. The point of my post was to vent my frustration with having to hear about hazard pay for a specific group when a whole lot of jobs are also facing the same covid situation with no hazard pay.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Feb 14, 2021

48 minutes ago, Closed Account 12345 said:

No. Why would I ever begrudge a frontline worker (or anyone) a good thing during this difficult season? I'm happy when good things happen to people, especially when the good things have zero negative impact on others.

Community members are not harmed by the fact that their grocery store workers made a small raise. Nurses are not harmed by the fact that grocery store workers made a small raise.

Why in the world would this irritate anyone?

There's been no shortage of praise and recognition of nurses this year. You can find the stories on any news page. You can read about nurses being flown to the Super Bowl.

If you don't like your wages, take it up with your manager- not out on grocery store workers.

I agree and am glad that front line workers like grocery store workers are getting hazard pay. They deserve it! Also I'm glad they have put in plastic dividers as safeguards at the checkout.

That said I stand by that nurses deserve hazard pay as well, particularly those working with the covid patients. Other posts mention while nurses are working short staffed, the CEO's and the top dogs are getting big bonuses. That is simply disgusting! In no way are they at risk the way the nurses are, and sadly their choice to under staff both increases risk and stress on the nurses and patients, yet they are rewarded with the hundred thousand plus!

Like I said my healthcare system got over a billion dollars, yet no hazard pay, but I'm sure the big shots made a mint off us! Over 3,000 healthcare workers have died! There may be some rural hospitals that are truly suffering, but these big systems are not or they wouldn't be throwing millions in bonuses to the big shots! My system had over a billion dollars in reserve.

They are now offering $40/hour bonus to pick up, but no takers. Instead the nurses are fleeing and now they can pay travelers crisis pay! Maybe if they had shown nurses respect and given hazard pay and decent staffing they wouldn't be in the situation they are in. Ten more nurses have quit since I did!

1gr8trnstudent, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 15, 2021

I also agree with you Brandy. I work in the ED where I do not get covid pay but ICU nurses in my facility get covid pay and I am dealing with covid unknowns. I also agree that the top executives are taking millions of bonuses with us doing the hardwork. I also think its disgusting to see facilities pay ridiculous money for travel nurses and tell their staff nurses they will not be getting a raise. The whole system is disgusting and disturbed.

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Feb 15, 2021

While a majority of us knew we would be dealing with this and who knows whatever else in the future I think the issue was dealing with this but then being told "Yeah sorry we have no N95's or PAPR's so just go in with a surgical mask". Taking care of these patients without the proper PPE was what we did not sign up for, hence the topic of hazard pay.

neuron · Feb 16, 2021

On 2/10/2021 at 6:39 PM, 1gr8trnstudent said:

Is anyone else irritated by the fact that there are countless professions who are required to work during covid but the new is always revolving around grocery store employee needing hazard pay? What about nurses, doctors, hvac, etc..what are your thoughts?

I'm surprised by some of the responses here. There have been many nurses and other health care workers who have risked their lives and gotten sick themselves on their jobs, which they didn't sign up for. The CDC has changed face many times during COVID, lowering and raising standards at their choice, instead of protecting the nurses, to meet their guidelines and facilities using this as an excuse to lower their standards. An example is, 'using the same isolation gown for all covid patients'. and 'one N95 for all covid patients'. If that's not lowering standards, I don't know what else is. Also not holding facilities responsible when there is an outbreak, 20, 30+ positive patients and not requiring notifying the nurses, (or reporting for notifying) staff who come in contact. That is slothful practice. If they required notification or compliance for notification as the CDC, OSHA says, facilities would be out of business. So yes, hazard pay should be on the books for blatant disregard.

Emergent, RN · Feb 16, 2021

I wouldn't want to be a grocery clerk. I'm happy that they are getting more for working under these conditions.

1gr8trnstudent, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2021

As far as I am concerned we are all exposed to covid in the same manner. Pay is based on education so that doesnt make one profession more important that the other. Everyone dealing with covid deserves hazard pay period.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Feb 16, 2021

4 hours ago, 1gr8trnstudent said:

Pay is based on education

Oh dear.

Emergent, RN · Feb 16, 2021

Grocery workers have stressful jobs. They have managers watching them every second of the day, they are given lines to say to customers, they have to deal with many many members of the public each day.

They're made to stand up for most of the day. When I went to Great Britain, I saw that the grocery cashiers had much more comfortable work stations and were allowed to sit. The public was expected to bag its own over there.

They are also usually underpaid. I actually worked in a grocery store for 2 years when I was a teenager, as a bag girl. It was a brand new thing for girls to be allowed to work at the job that they used to call box boys. So, I got a taste of what a career as a grocery cashier is, and it's quite blue collar. The pay is not great unless you go up the ranks.

Nurses, on the other hand, make very decent money, and have a lot of opportunities to work overtime in this pandemic. People are going on lucrative travel contracts. If you are an experienced nurse during this you have a chance for a financial bonanza.