At the risk of outing myself to my employers, I have a few positive things to say about Wegmans.
I recently went through a coronavirus scare. Several days of severe gastrointestinal illness, matching some of the symptoms of COVID-19. Two days too sick to leave the house. A three-day wait for testing. A six-day wait for results.
Wegmans paid me for my missed days. The company recognizes that responsible employees will stay away from the workplace until they know whether they’re sick. And it gives them incentive to do that.
So kudos to Wegmans. And kudos to me. I tested negative.
The process was eye-opening. When it takes almost two weeks to determine whether you have the virus, contact tracing becomes irrelevant.
How many people, working for less enlightened employers, continue to report to their jobs because they desperately need the income?
Serious underlying issues – poverty, racial discrimination, minimum wage, sick pay, health insurance, lack of federal leadership, political influence on scientific research and medical advice – have been highlighted by this crisis.
I just hope we learn lessons that will change policy and public sentiment.
And I am so sorry for people who have had to go through this with more devastating outcomes.