As winter creeps back into the South, so has the sheer panic of COVID-19. Experts say to get vaccinated and wear a mask, while the other half says that none of the previous measures taken are effective. I can’t say if what either side says is true, but there is one thing I know for certain. The pandemic has caused the world to be short staffed.
While recently shopping at my go-to store, I noticed that the same lady and young man were always there working. I hadn’t seen any of the regular employees on the floor in at least two days.
As I was checking out, I inquired as to their whereabouts and was informed that all of the others had COVID, and she was the only person not sick who could run the place.
I then posed a question to her that I’m sure she has answered hundreds of times in the last couple of days. “Well can’t the corporate office send folks from other stores to help you out? Surely, you must be exhausted by now.”
“No,” she replied. “Other stores are going through the same thing too.”
The world is short staffed.
I read an article last week about big chain stores going to mainly self-checkout. I can truly say I am not a fan. I feel as though by using those machines, I am putting someone out of a much-needed job.
The article explained that the reason behind self-checkout was that the corporation had hundreds of workers calling out each day after being diagnosed with COVID. They discovered it was easier to have one body over several machines, instead of having to close down the whole operation due no employees available to run manual registers.
The world is short staffed.
Columbus County municipalities are in the throes of having to close buildings to the public. City schools and academies are making their way back to virtual remote learning to slow down the spread of COVID among students and staff. Parents are having to stay home with their children instead of going to work.
Police and fire departments are hiring, and emergency management is trying to help patrol some area. Public Works and NCDOT are trying to subcontract small jobs like mowing the sides of roadways, fixing water leaks, and installing ditch tiles.
The world is short staffed.
There are worse things that this pandemic has done, but as of late the worst is the heavy burden it’s putting on the hardworking folks. These are the men and women who have showed up when no one else could or would in some cases. I have seen some of these people talked to and treated in some of the most horrible ways by their patrons when they could have easily not shown up at all and left the doors closed to a business for the day.
Remember as you are standing in line at store, or waiting for your order at the drive-thru, that the world is short staffed. If the register goes down, or if something is wrong on your order, be a little kinder to the person behind the counter trying to make it right.
The world is short staffed.
Psalms 127: 1-2
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.
