No hazard pay for Colorado grocery workers despite COVID-19 surge, busy holiday season

Kevin Smith is doing what he can to minimize the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to his wife, who was born with a congenital heart defect — staying apart at home, sleeping in separate rooms, taking frequent temperature checks and getting tested when he’s able.

“The last thing I’d want to do is bring COVID home to her,” Smith said. “It would be devastating if she caught it.”

But for Smith and his coworkers at King Soopers in Longmont, personal choices about whether to take these precautions are only part of the equation. They start every shift knowing that they’ll face customers who refuse to wear masks or follow social-distancing guidelines, and the inherent risks of being inside a crowded store for hours at a time. Lately, more and more coworkers are missing shifts due to a positive test or because they’re quarantining after a possible exposure.

Colorado’s third wave of coronavirus infections has arrived just ahead of the holiday season, prompting urgent warnings from elected officials and public health experts about the risks of large Thanksgiving gatherings. But with the virus more prevalent than ever amid one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year, the risks are also especially acute for grocery and retail workers.

Read more: https://coloradonewsline.com/2020/11/25/no-hazard-pay-for-colorado-grocery-workers-despite-covid-19-surge-busy-holiday-season/