by Nancy May
The Social Gerontology and Health Lab at Yale School of Public Health called her book, “an incredibly useful resource for the caregiver community.”
Separate from the survey, Nancy shared this with us. (We edited for clarity and brevity.)
Many well-intentioned employer policies cause employees economic harm. And have negative health impacts.
- If an employee takes time off to get a Covid test, a grocery store (I know of) suspends them for 2 weeks. This policy punishes someone who may be COVID negative before they get the test results.
- This will likely deter poor employees, particularly minimum wage workers, from seeking timely tests. A worker with mild symptoms may continue to work and put colleagues, customers, and suppliers at risk.
- Employers need policies that don't discourage early diagnoses and self-quarantining.
- Many employees aren't aware that employers are required to pay employees for the time they are suspended. Since few employees are aware of this rule, they continue to be fearful and thus put themselves and others at potential risk.
Lack of consistent policies is also a problem. For example, with masks.
- I am in Florida. Here, the absence of state or county government mask mandates puts the burden on retailers or restaurant staff to enforce customer masking rules. This creates inconsistent enforcement among businesses. And puts them in the awkward position of inviting potentially violent confrontations with customers who refuse to wear masks.
- A store-by-store mandate burdens businesses with training and customized safety protocols that are better handled with more uniform government mandates.
- I asked a family without masks to be respectful and hold their distance at least 4 feet back. They responded with outrage and anger to my firm yet simple request.