Workers in the fast-food business, the majority of whom earn less than minimum wage, have faced the repercussions of working in cramped conditions through at least four stressful waves of COVID-19. In addition to confronting challenging working circumstances during the pandemic, fast food workers are at a greater risk of getting COVID-19.
Workers in the fast-food business, the majority of whom earn less than minimum wage, have faced the repercussions of working in cramped conditions through at least four stressful waves of COVID-19. In addition to confronting challenging working circumstances during the pandemic, fast food workers are at a greater risk of getting COVID-19.
The Experience of Fast-Food Workers During Pandemic
The COVID-19 had a significant influence on the lives and workplaces of fast-food employees in Los Angeles County, and fast-food workers faced different problems and experiences about COVID-19 standards, transmission, employer reaction, and protection.
According to a survey commissioned by local public health officials and conducted by UCLA Labor Center researchers and released Tuesday, nearly a quarter of the region’s 150,000 fast-food employees 23 percent have contracted the coronavirus since March 2020, a rate significantly higher than the general population. Moreover, as for the census statistics, two-thirds of those employed are women, and nine out of ten are individuals of color.
Since the start of the epidemic, 1.75 million cases of COVID-19 have been documented in Los Angeles County, which has a population of around 10 million people. Tia Koonse, legal and policy research manager at the UCLA Labor Center, told Insider that the Fast-food employees were truly on the front lines throughout the pandemic.
The Death Records Increased among Food and Agriculture Workers During the Pandemic
During the pandemic, according to a January 2021 study analyzing death records from the California Department of Public Health, there was a 39 percent increase in mortality among food and agriculture workers, with cooks being the most at risk, as they typically work in confined and poorly ventilated environments.
A lack of monitoring on the part of employers adds to the danger. According to the UCLA poll, many employees said that when a potentially lethal outbreak occurred at work, their bosses failed to warn others, with 42% of respondents stating they were only “occasionally” notified about the disease.
Wage Theft
Wage theft affected over two-thirds of fast-food employees. Nearly half of those surveyed said they had to purchase their uniforms or equipment. The majority of those who worked extra hours said they were not paid time and a half, as required by law.
Low-wage staff was forced to implement COVID-19 safety rules that some customers and colleagues decided to ignore, making the hours they worked very stressful. More than half of fast-food employees claimed they’ve had “bad encounters” with customers or coworkers as a result of policies like obligatory masking, with 34% indicating they’ve been shouted at.
Around one-fifth of those who raised worry over COVID-19 to their manager stated they were retaliated against, and the majority indicated they only partially addressed the problem. The survey’s findings should push politicians to take greater responsibility for implementing COVID-19 measures, rather than burdening workers who are already on the point of burnout, according to Koonse. This entails more focused workplace inspections — as well as soliciting input from employees themselves.
