How Large Corporations are Handling the Pandemic

FREDERICTON, NB – Although Orange Phase has now been lifted and Fredericton has returned to yellow phase, the recent growth of COVID-19 cases in New Brunswick has affected many. During the Orange Phase the guidelines stated that businesses were permitted to stay open when following the COVID-19 operation plan. Grocery stores such as Sobeys are essential therefore being one of the busiest locations in the city. The question on everyone’s mind is how are large corporations handling the pandemic and what are they doing to keep customers and employees safe?

Upon entering Sobeys, they have employee patrolling the door to ensure that all customers are wearing a mask covering their face and nose. The government requires that masks are worn in all public area inside and outside but Store Manager, Kendall Morton, explains how he has the employees stationed there to ensure that no one slips through the cracks. The employees also ask customers entering the store to sanitize their hands or to be wearing protective gloves.

“We try to do daily huddles in the store where we inform the department managers what kind of changes are taking place and also to inform them of the updates every day from the government. We also cover that off with our department managers and then that filters down to our staff when they have daily department huddles as well” says Morton.

Before starting each shift, Sobeys employees must initial under the printed COVID-19 pre-screening that they are fit to work. These precautions are placed to keep both customers and employees are as safe as possible. Also, if an employee has been in contact with someone who is in the process of being tested for COVID-19, then they are asked not to come into work until that person has tested negative. The regulations continue in the staff room as only three people are permitted to be in there at one time to allow the proper distance between employees as they take their break. Cleaning the public and employee bathroom every fifteen minutes, Sobeys seems to be taking the pandemic very seriously.

“I feel one hundred percent safe with the precautions and stuff that Sobeys has in place for all of its employees that are working in the stores right now” says Bakery Manager, Trevor Shaw. Shaw has been working at Sobeys since 1995. Shaw details how the Bakery has COVID sanitizing every morning, noon and night. In this cleaning, all surfaces including cart handles, sink taps, light switches and door handles are disinfected. As an extra precaution, gloves are worn at all times by employee when they handle food.

Emma Wagner, a third-year student at St. Thomas says, “So, it’s a little worrying when you get in here and you see a lot of people since everybody has to grocery shop and other stores can be limiting. But the stores here like Sobeys for example are doing a really good job at keeping people separate and keeping everything marked up.” Wagner is referring to the arrows marked on the floor of the aisles to keep customers socially distanced by having them all moving in one direction.

Surprisingly, business has not slowed down for Sobeys. Perhaps it’s because people are less able to go to restaurants.  Perhaps it’s because people have renewed their interest in cooking.  Perhaps it is just because they have been spending more time at home.  Whatever the reason, it’s comforting to know that Sobeys is making the health of its customers and employees a serious priority in these uncertain times.