As being a small business owner does come with it’s perks; right now it can be a hard time to be self-employed. Being self-employed also means no paid leave. Currently the social distancing guidelines of no more then 10 bodies in a group has possibly affected some in home daycares. Not only have providers struggled with social distancing; the high demand of sanitation products have left providers with nothing to keep surfaces safe. In result home childcare providers are forced to close doors due to the Coronavirus outbreak. These small business owners are left without work for an extended period of time. This causes families to fall behind on bills and a dramatic decline in household income to support their families. With the decline in income being a known factor, some childcare providers try to hold on and stay open as long as possible. Although this puts individuals at risk of COVID-19 spreading, some childcare providers can not afford the dramatic loss of income and are forced to stay open. For the few that do stay open, their income slowly declines due to parents being without work resulting in no money to pay to keep their child enrolled. So many issues have taken place within the past two weeks with COVID-19 that has really took a toll on small business owners/childcare providers.

I really shouldn't have to explain this I mean come on we all know GameStop isn't really essential it should shut down for the Coronavirus.

We are facing a national crisis and are required to go to work every day without pay if we get sick. We are told how important it is we stay open to serve our communities. We are putting ourselves at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 while IPP does nothing for it's retail staff on the front lines.

This is our health and money for big corporations is being put ahead of that. It is not a necessity to be open during times like these.

DUNKIN’ IS NOT AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS. We, as well as our customers, most of whom are elderly, deserve to be protected from the Coronavirus. We are transmitting germs everyday by serving each customer that comes through the drive thru or comes in for takeout. This is not okay and Dunkin should shut down all locations ASAP.

It is unnecessary and unsafe to be open during a PANDEMIC. We are not an essential store and corporate is fighting and begging to stay open, claiming Staples is essential and putting employees and their families at risk. Staples should temporarily close stores and pay their employees for the time being. Many employees are at high risk ages, are immunocompromised, have asthma, etc. This is NOT RIGHT and extremely unsafe. In order to curb this virus and the spread of it, Staples needs to close their doors and pay their employees.

As healthcare workers, we believe all Wisconsin residents, and indeed, in the USA, should have paid sick leave, but for those of us on the front lines, this is non-negotiable.

All of the evidence suggests that seniors, over 60, are more susceptible to this virus.

I work at one of these regional/national chains. When I went to work today for the first time in 3 days, there was no hand sanitizer provided, no masks, no gloves presented, no temperature taken of the people I work with or myself. I have been wearing gloves and using my own hand sanitizer for a week, then during my three days off, things changed dramatically. I have one coworker tell me he has a sore throat the second I walk in. I am absolutely livid at this point. You see, I take care of my elderly parents, especially my father who is in frail health. For the last three days ive worried to death about coming back to work, because I work with people who are all much younger, and honeslty still think this is all a joke. So I hoped it would somehow be ok, but I knew....These places, the people at top, including the managers at the stores, they arent going to have to grab a $20 bill from a guy that just coughed all over it. They wont see the sick people, then have to worry about going home to there elderly parents, they only care about one thing, money. Money, dirty disgusting money, possibly covered in bacteria, being brought back into a shop of people that think that this is still a joke. Well, it didnt take me more than 2 seconds to go home when offered to go. Now, I dont know where I'll get money, because I dont even know if I have a job still. I had to make a decision right that second, my parents health or my money....I chose my parents. I shouldnt have to worry now about my job, about going to work to get sick. To bring it home to my parents. If every person could actually be 100% safe and cared, maybe these places would be fine to have open, but they are not, they still dont care, and are dangerous right now. Please help the elderly and people that do care about this, and shut these places down!

According to the UN, hazard pay is “a form of compensation granted to staff members who have been requested to remain and report for work in duty stations where very hazardous conditions, such as war or active hostilities, prevailed and where the evacuation of families and nonessential staff had taken place.” Employees are experiencing elevated anxiety and fear as they continue their regularly scheduled shifts at the eye of the pandemic storm, especially those who are considered at-risk. Hazard pay would go a long way in terms of increasing morale and knowing their employers recognize the hard work and health risks they face amid this global crisis.

In many stations, management has not so much as read a safety talk about health risks during this pandemic and how to minimize them. No significant steps of any sort have been taken to ensure the safety of employees or customers. A memo sent to station managers and supervisors on March 13 claimed that “ “the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low for the general American public.” This is grossly irresponsible and must be corrected immediately. The CDC and other public health officials have made it clear that everyone should stay home and avoid contact with others as much as possible. By continuing to work as normal, postal employees are put at great risk of contracting the virus and/or spreading it to customers. If the Postal Service fails to act swiftly and boldly, many employees and customers alike will die as a result, and countless more will suffer illness. The gravity of this can hardly be overstated. We must therefore take the above steps to keep the most vulnerable people out of high risk situations entirely, and ensure the greatest care is taken for all others. There is simply no excuse for failure to do so. Given the risk that all employees are taking by continuing to work in a viral pandemic, the great stress the situation puts on them and their families, and the extra time and care that is demanded by safety precautions in their daily work, time and a half hazard pay should be the minimal compensation for those who continue to work. Finally, it is outrageous that employees who are required to work in such a high risk situation should be forced to take leave without pay if they contract the virus as a result. USPS as an employer must take responsibility for the risks it forces upon its employees, and guarantee their continued pay during illness.

-A safe working environment. Please take some initiative to either shut down your stores completely or limit interactions between employees and customers by only utilizing the drive thru area instead of using the lobby area during the outbreak of COVID-19. -Livable wages. While I cannot speak to the kinds of pay offered at corporate locations, I can speak out about the franchise location I work at. People are given bare minimum wages. I work with people who have not had raises in YEARS. Shift managers at my location start off at $8.50/hr. When crew members are not paid fairly and management positions are not awarded with fair wage increases, employees do not have anything to aspire to work towards and as a result are not enthusiastic to be “good” employees. When I was a general manager I was given a grossing annual wage of $31,200 a year (which was $600 a week, despite the fact I was expected to work 60+ hours regularly). Your employees deserve to be paid a living wage, regardless of their job title. If you can’t do that, then you shouldn’t be in business. Please take you pizza parties, $5 gas cards, and faux appreciation and shove it. -Paid sick leave. Employees should not be forced to come into work when they are sick out of fear they won’t be able to afford their rent/bills/groceries/childcare/etc. (probably because they don’t get paid enough in the first place). This is especially important now because families all across America are worried they will not be able to make ends meet during the COVID-19 outbreak if they have to miss work. -Access to healthcare. I cannot speak with certainty how healthcare benefits are handled at corporate store locations, though a quick glance at the Bojangles’ corporate page leads me to assume it is probably minimal. Employees at my location are not awarded any benefits, not even full-time or management positions. As general manager, there were several occasions when I was dealing with health complications and found myself with no insurance. When I reached out to the franchisees, I was met with excuses as to why they could not provide us with any insurance. If employees are using their bodies to do the work for you day in and day out, the least you can do is help ensure they get access to the healthcare they deserve. THE TIME IS NOW. People’s lives are at stake right NOW and Bojangles’ is sending a message that they value profits over people. Please do not underestimate the severity of this virus. It does not care how much money you make. Do not wait until the virus spreads further and things get worse. Show your employees and customers that you are committed to their well-being today. #PEOPLEOVERPROFITS #BOTIMEISOVER