All Essential Workers Deserve the Pandemic $4.00 Pay Raise

I’m sure you’ve heard recently about the $4.00 raise that many essential workers have been told they would get for the following four months due to working during this pandemic, along with a $250 bonus if working over 100 total hours each month. It applies to employees working in fields such as retirement homes and hospitals. These people have been putting their health and safety at risk for the sake of being there for others, these workers more than deserve this bonus and personally they have all my gratitude.

However, we also can’t forget about the other workers that may be struggling to take care of themselves and their families during this time. The field I want to focus on right now is mainly grocery stores, as I myself am employed in one and it is the field I am most knowledgeable on.

Grocery workers are very essential at this time, and though they are not working directly in helping those who have contracted this illness, they are still putting themselves at risk each and every day.

Grocery workers as well as those in other food related industries, such as restrauraunts, are recognized as hero’s as they work hard each and every day to help everyone put food on their table. During this stressful time people are staying inside in order to protect themselves and their families, but one of life’s greatest necessities is food.

It is unavoidable that everyone will need to do shopping in order to get supplies to feed their families, and during this time some restaraunts have resorted to only doing take out orders, but some places are still allowing hundreds of people into their establishments every single day, they put effort and risk their safety with each and every meal they prepare, as this virus can not just be passed on by anyone with out their knowledge, but can survive on surfaces and just one incident of it spreading can get lots of workers sick. Some have even lost their lives.

Along with this, they go out of their way to make sure all orders get to their customers, and because so many people want food delivered, it is a very busy time for them and very draining.

Restaraunts arnt the only locations struggling with lots of delivery orders, grocery stores have also commonly started hiring lots more staff just to keep up with the amount of deliveries. Along with seeing hundreds if not thousands of people during each shift alone that they work, they will go out of their way to make sure your order gets safely to your door while you are in the safety of your home. While this has always been important, now they are risking their safety, not just in the store, but anywhere. Grocery workers are fighting during this pandemic to get food stocked on the shelves for us, and get them safely to us and our families. Some people have even started working for apps such as InstaCart to help others and bring in extra money for their family. However, not everyone or their families have the option to be in the safety of their home.

Some people have lost their jobs if it is considered non essential, and that includes a lot of parents. Those who get money from the government have some money to help their families, but some people may not qualify and need to continue to work. They may be even making less then what is provided to non-essential workers while they are out of work, but they still work to support their families and help us every day, even though every day they know they are putting themselves at risk, doing their best to protect themselves, their families, and us. No matter what the field is, anyone who is still working is putting themselves and their loved and ones at risk of contracting the virus, and that stress makes it even harder to stay on top of busy work hours and a tough schedule.

That is why I believe that all people still working during this pandemic deserve the bonus, I myself am worried about my safety but I am happy to work to help others during this time, while just remembering how important it is to keep myself and others safe. This does not clear my fear of the virus though. I believe almost everyone who is working right now feels the same way as me. I believe everyone deserves that extra money to help support their family during this hard time. May we not forget the many who have been working through this for us and may have even lost their own lives or their loved ones due to the virus, and we must remember how much they did for us and our safety. May they Rest In Peace as we all work together to get through this.