When New York State legislators considered a ban on plastic bags, Wegmans opposed it.
When the ban passed, Wegmans enacted the change before the new law took effect.
In essence, the company came out looking like an early defender of the environment when all it ready did was institute an unwanted ban a few weeks early.
Now Wegmans is using a similar playbook for dealing with the coronavirus, to less effect.
When employees at other retailers began wearing face masks to help stem the spread of COVID-19, Wegmans opposed the measure, instructing employees that they should not wear masks at work.
A day before the Centers for Disease Control changed its position on masks*, Wegmans announced a new stance, issuing a rather half-hearted policy allowing employees to wear them. (Workers are still waiting for details.)
Is this what we should expect of an enterprise known for commitment to employees and the community?
Here’s a recent Twitter exchange about whether Wegmans was being held to a higher standard:
I know why it bothers me. Wegmans is a pillar of Rochester. They are a huge employer here, a huge leader here and they are putting employees in a terrible position.
— Ben ban the nazis Kieran (@fictionfree) April 3, 2020
UR is paying people whether they work or not.
Mom and Pop stores had better protections in place weeks ago.
Certainty is hard to come by these days, as circumstances change day to day.
Clearly, the focus has to be on prevention rather than on reaction to governmental directions. The pillars of our community and our country need to make the hard decisions ahead of the curve. Slowness to act can have devastating consequences.
* The CDC’s change in recommendation is based on recent findings that many people contract the illness without showing symptoms. The masks are intended not for self-protection but for the protection of the people around them.
From the CDC: We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.