Updated: My local Walgreen’s: NOT “at the corner of happy and healthy”
From the article:
The cashier, a middle-aged woman who has worked at this Walgreen’s for years, looked like hell. She was congested, coughing, barely able to croak out any words. When I asked what was going on, and why on earth she was at work in this condition, she told me she was also running a fever.
But, when she tried to call in sick, she said, her boss told her that if she wanted to remain employed, she better get to work. So she did, viruses and all.
Since she was the only cashier on duty, everyone in the store who bought anything, including the vulnerable senior citizens, had to visit her register and presumably get exposed to whatever illness she has. I felt so sorry for her, since she still had several hours left in her shift.
Spread the germs.. to generate sales ?
Filed under: General Problems
Even better Karen 🙂 and Queen of Hearts…a couple months later I had recently come back from maternity leave with said baby ( mind you this is 1991). We got hit with a serious ice storm. Then husband had already left with team for NCAA tourney ( he was a team mgr) my sitter had no power, and of course Hooks would not close the stores I called even as the city was calling an emergency. Again I got threatened with my job, my mgr couldnt get out, so I bundled the baby, my cashier did same with hers. I told her just bring him, the hell with policy. Drove over, got there late of course due ro roads and NO POWER IN THE WHOLE STRIP CENTER! DM lived 20 miles away, called and told him, we werent getting any generators as they were going to the warehouse in Indy. I told him cashier and I were there with the kids and got…”why did you bring the kids, etc etc, ” I laid into him about certainly NOT leaving a 2 month old home alone, and how dare he demand I open the store and. put my child and the cashier and her child in danger knowing the road conditions, etc etc. I told him we were going home as we could not fill anything or ring registers. But I found out the other stores had power and he had called them and ordered them to remain open…again the city declared an emergency and everything was supposed to shut down and off the roads. Took me an hour to get home. I did make it safely, did not lose power otherwise I might have had to drove 2 miles to my parents. Karma for him…he was stuck in Frankfort IN no power for 2 weeks, and took state at least a week to get the road opened up due to their priority list. This was after the Kroger merger thing and Hooks was no longer the family friendly chain I had started with. I had to wait to quit after husband got done with school as the area was saturated because of the pharmacy school, was in the same town
In the state of MA, if there is a state of emergency in affect, no one BUT emergency personel are to be on the roads. That is what a state of emergency is for. So that no one has to travel unsafe roads putting themselves or others in harms way. It always puzzles me when businesses stay open in this case. For those stores that were told to stay open, did the sales from customers, cover all the operating expenses and did those stores make a profit? …. Doubtful …. And that an employee(s) risked their lives to get to a store ( that had no power even ) meant absolutely nothing. When did and why does the all mighty dollar mean more to someone than a human life or lives?
Karen….Looking back I believe THAT was the beginning of what we have now…regardless of the weather and storm issues somebodys pharmacy MUST be open! I think they operate under the assumption that they are medical and essential personnel….my law enforcement friend said that only works for hospital not retail. I have since been more assertive about things. When I worked in Indy and counties I had to drive thru were closed I called in and stayed home….its a 500.00 fine. I knew the interstate was mainly OK but why chance it and my employer certainly wasnt going to pay.
In a certain district in central PA it is the RPHs responsibly to cover their shift!! First contact your partner, then start making call from a call list. Some sort of demerits will be given if middle management must be called. Who do you think is going to answer their phone at 6:00 AM??? One RPh was given a few hours of coverage and went to the minute clinic before having to report. The RPh was given a few scripts and reported to work. Again another example of H.I.T….Harrassment , Intimidation and Threats of Termination.
If any supervisor gives you a hard time for calling in sick and threatens your job tell them to put it in writing. This is assuming you are not abusing sick time. Chains hire floaters to cover sick time. It is not your job to cover the pharmacy. It is the DMs . .
The world will not collapse if the pharmacy is closed for a few hours.
Last winter a technician at a CVS was written up for calling out….the date she was written up for was when she was laying in the ICU. When she argued this with the PIC, he stated that she let CVS down.
Isn’t that what sick time is for? Even if this very ill woman wasn’t eligible or may not have had any available. In the media don’t we always hear health professionals say “if sick, stay home” so as not to spread any illness to your co-workers and in this case to customers.
A threat of losing ones job because of illness and trying to do the responsible thing should be reported and investigated.
Ha there is no such thing as sick time in retail. When I was in labor at work with my 1st child, the contractions were getting irregular and i needed leave to go to my OBs office. My mgr was on his way back from doc appt in Indy. The 3rd RPh of our group would not answer his phone and others refused to come in. The DM was zero help said I had to stay. I called him back and told him I was leaving and since.the pharmacy could not run without a pharmacist I was closing the store until mgr came for his shift. 10 min later I got a call from someone who refused to come in and she was on her way to relieve me. I was livid. This.was the old Hooks company. I stayed one more year to get my 5 in for my vested 401k money and I was gone. I ended up having the baby emergency C section due to complications. Seemed.retail.was the only place no one would cover if you were sick especially if you are the RPh.I’ve gone to work with migraines kidney stones ‘flu’ like viruses pneumonia N/V, laryngitis, corporate retail.didnt care you had to show up or be fired. There wasnt a big effort to help get relief to work so you could stay home.and get well
If you could’ve heard my tone when writing that comment you would’ve known I was being completely sarcastic. 🙂 I too Worked for a large retail pharmacy and if you called out you were called back constantly, usually by the pharmacist on duty, to see if you would make it in. Wasn’t that the reason for the call out ( sarcastic ) I wasn’t going to be in.
Here is the best part, you had to find someone to cover your shift. Really? Am I a lead tech , no , am I a manager , no , was I ever given names and contact info of other “comparable employees” ( had to have the same skill set ) to call , no. Isn’t this the responsibility of the manager on duty and the lead techs, ummmmn , yes , would be any other place I’ve worked.
Seriously ridiculous it’s almost hysterical … 🙂