It’s permitted, not recommended, and certainly not promoted.
That’s essentially the Wegmans stance on employees wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, the company dropped a ban forbidding workers from wearing masks on the job. Internally, there has been a deafening silence in the days since.
I can’t speak for all employees, but I have not received an email about the new policy. Nor is there a posting about the change on employee bulletin areas in the breakroom or next to timeclocks at my store.
A brief video about how to use the masks is accessible, with some searching, on the company’s Knowledgenet, a computer-based learning program. According to the video, employees are restricted to the following types of masks:
Overall, the video is hardly a ringing endorsement of usage. In fact, the overall message seems to be: “We’d really rather you didn’t.”
Workers are obviously getting the message. So far, I’ve seen just one Wegmans employee wearing a mask. (My experience may differ from those who work day shifts.)
It’s possible that company leadership has sound reasons for not endorsing usage. But so far, the only rationale provided is a warning from the Wegmans medical adviser that masks are often misused.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control has changed its position because of increasing evidence that people can spread the disease when they’re not yet showing symptoms. The primary benefit of masks is believed to be protection of others, which would include not only employees but customers.
Other retailers such as Target have not only encouraged use, but are providing the masks.
What’s up, Wegmans?
YES THANK YOU. I work on the FE as a coordinator at my store, and despite “guidelines” I’m telling all of my cashiers they can do this. I don’t care if I lose my job, the safety and health of these wonderful human beings are way more important to me.
I REFUSE to let this information to go unseen/unheard. The fact that this info isn’t directly available internally on the home page of the site, is disappointing to me. I believed they cared about us, but now I’m not so sure I believe them. A few of my fellow coordinators and STLs are working on getting masks and will start to wear them as soon as we can get them, so that anyone in-store (on the FE or not) who doesn’t know about the mask policy, will ask, and we WILL enlighten them.
I LOVE your attitude. It fits the spirit of the Wegmans I thought I knew.
I work in wegmans in Virginia and can say that myself and many of my coworkers are terrified to come to work. Wegmans has been the opposite of proactive with all this. Days and weeks behind other retailers to get simple fixes in stores. We are literally risking our lives all for $2 more an hour. Wow. If that’s not a big F YOU I don’t know what is. Wegmans needs to step up big and soon or their reputation as a great place to work will go down the drain