Walmart cashiers wearing gloves?

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Hi everyone, just curious about others opinion. A few times when visiting walmart, cashiers were wearing gloves. I asked what was the reason for doing so, and they did not want to say. I'm sure its for "avoiding" illnesses but wearing gloves all day without handwashing won't help. I feel as if there's a greater chance of getting an airborne illness. How do you all feel about wearing gloves as a cashier? I somewhat find it annoying and offensive. I feel as if having hand sanitizer at each counter would suffice.

Another example of just a bit of germaphobia - Although handling money does expose them to a lot of nasty germs, I think they'd be fine washing their hands frequently.

Exception: If I had a cut on my hands, I'd wear gloves until it was healed.

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Haha I'm laughing here... That's some mighty thin skin right there..

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ponymom said:
Haha I'm laughing here... That's some mighty thin skin right there..

Who has thin skin? I asked about everyone's opinion about the topic.....it would of been nice if more than 1 person answered. I didn't ask if I had the right to be offended about something.

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This has got to be one of the most random topics on AN. I don't understand why you are offended. Use the self check lane if it bothers you so much.

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Have you *seen* where some Walmart shoppers pull their money out from?! I'd wear gloves too! Just kidding (sort of).

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Specializes in ICU.

I'd wear gloves at Walmart too, to be honest í ½í¸‚

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Sorry, double post

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I have no problem with it. Other countries it's not unusual for grocery workers including cashiers to wear those rubberized/cloth gloves; I assumed they were wearing them for their own reasons and it literally doesn't affect me in the least.

I fail to see how it's any worse (or better, probably) than using no gloves and not washing their hands between customers or between packaged food and fresh food or whatever crazy criteria could be made up.

I would imagine with the amount of product they handle in a day their hands could be black/cut/scratched and nails beyond help at the end of the day.

I go to the place in question as little as possible anyway, for other reasons - such as the time I stopped late after work once and there was a rousing game of "see how far you can slam a grocery cart with your vehicle" going on; several participants.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I don't get how it's any different from nurses who wear gloves for "everything". If we don't expect patients to get offended, why on earth would I care about Walmart cashiers? They have to handle everything that someone else has handled, including money and (possibly leaky) packages of raw meat. Of course hand washing and sanitizing would be better. Just like on hospital floors. If we insist on wearing gloves despite EBP, then who are we to begrudge cashiers?

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It probably has more to do with the amount of drug dust on everything anymore. We have had oodles of people getting arrested out of our Walmart bathrooms and parking lots for dealing and ODs. We have a lot of fentanyl and carfentanyl-laced stuff around here. My guess is it would have way more to do with that than germs.

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TriciaJ said:
I don't get how it's any different from nurses who wear gloves for "everything". If we don't expect patients to get offended, why on earth would I care about Walmart cashiers? They have to handle everything that someone else has handled, including money and (possibly leaky) packages of raw meat. Of course hand washing and sanitizing would be better. Just like on hospital floors. If we insist on wearing gloves despite EBP, then who are we to begrudge cashiers?

I can understand wearing gloves for handling raw meat, leaking packages....etc. Overall I think its unnecessary. I mainly was saying the amount of time the gloves are worn is the issue.

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smf0903 said:
It probably has more to do with the amount of drug dust on everything anymore. We have had oodles of people getting arrested out of our Walmart bathrooms and parking lots for dealing and ODs. We have a lot of fentanyl and carfentanyl-laced stuff around here. My guess is it would have way more to do with that than germs.

Interesting theory. That one hadn't even crossed my mind, but there have been a few stories in the news about that sort of thing.

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