It's understandable that Costco is considered an essential business. A lot of people buy
their groceries there, after all. But what's it really been like for people who work there?
This is what employees say it's really like to work at Costco during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keeping Costco's shelves stocked during normal days is a tough enough job, but according
to employees, it's been even harder since the pandemic hit.
"It's just hectic. As you can see, they're stocking this high. It's never been this high.
These palettes have come from the dock. We're backed up just a bit."
Business Insider spoke with one employee in Texas, who said:
"Our staff top to bottom are working our tails off right now. Yes, there are long lines,
yes we are out of items you want. We understand your frustrations but we as individuals are
just a small piece in a very big puzzle and we are trying to deliver the best service
we can."
Employees on Reddit have said their work days have gotten even more complicated for another
reason: the amount of staff who are calling in sick. One Redditor said:
"Basically half the staff called out today and the ones who did show up busted our asses.
I feel so emotionally and physically abused."
And going to work is risky. Another employee discussed on Reddit how customers would look
at clothing and leave a mess behind. What was once just an inconvenience could now be
dangerous:
"They're spreading their germs on all the clothing that we have to refold, virus stays
on clothes for 12 hours, why can't we just block off clothing and let people shop for
just essentials!"
In early April 2020, Costco announced that only two people per membership card could
enter the store to make it easier to observe social distancing.
"Starting tomorrow, Costco is only going to allow two guests per membership, and that's
not just here in Hawaii. It's all across the country."
Employees say it's been a huge headache. One said on Reddit,
"We're just trying to keep people safe, even if you might think it's a joke."
Another said,
"Had a lady intentionally cough in my face because we didn't allow her and her partner
and young child in because of the two-person limit."
Customers have been so aggressively resistant to the rule that some stores have stopped
bothering with it. According to one Redditor,
"The manager at the door said that the regional managers had made the call [to drop the limit].
It's bulls---."
Costco has also placed limits on how much of certain items customers can buy, and stopped
accepting returns on items, like toilet paper.
"At the front of this Fontana Costco, a sign warns incoming customers, 'Due to limited
supply, all paper products will be limited to one per member."
An employee told Business Insider:
"The limits on certain items is to provide the best service possible to as many members
as we can. We understand you might be also buying bath tissue for your elderly mother,
but if we make one exception, we have [to] make one for everyone."
The limits apply to employees, too - they're not allowed to buy any more than customers.
Costco employees who fill online orders are struggling, too. One Redditor asked people
to stop complaining about shipping waits, writing,
"Depot workers are overloaded with thousands of online orders. They also have to wait for
shipments of items to get in. It isn't their fault that things are slow and unfortunately,
it's the luck of the draw when it comes to essential items."
Another Costco employee responded:
"As an order picker who got off his [4:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.] shift after making relief
for the afternoon shift, thank you. When grinding out six-day work weeks, the odd 12 or even
voluntary 16 hour day, it hurts to come on here and see people b---- about how long it's
taking. Thank you from the bottom of my tired, atrophied heart."
According to Statista, as of 2019 there were 98.5 million people with a paid, annual Costco
membership, so it's safe to say that each store has a ton of people coming in and out.
According to some employees, they've seen customers that are clearly sick.
One employee said on Reddit:
"We had an older person at our store basically collapse on the floor today. Saying they have
been sick for over a week and lied about having troubles breathing. [...] We didn't sign up
to be emergency responders."
Some said there were no guidelines in place for what employees should do if customers
came into the store while they were clearly sick or even in need of medical attention.
Another employee added that they had seen customers cough while asking employees questions.
When Buzzfeed News investigated conditions at Costco post-coronavirus outbreak, it found
things were dire. By mid-April, dozens of employees had tested positive.
"The company says they've been cooperating with the public health department, including
contacting other employees who may have come in contact with them."
Some employees say otherwise, claiming that they hadn't been informed there were confirmed
cases among their close colleagues, and Costco's response was lacking. The company was slow
to close and properly clean stores, and personal protective equipment has been scarce. Some
employees have told stories about having to share gloves.
One manager in Michigan said that some elderly employees were sent to clean a portion of
the store where an infected employee had been stationed, and they weren't told exactly what
they were cleaning. Other employees say that even if they let their bosses know that they
had possibly been exposed to COVID-19, they were told to come to work, or take unpaid
leave.
A shift supervisor who worked in an Oregon Costco said:
"We are all expendable. Who talks about protecting us? I am not hearing anyone stand up for us."
At the beginning of the pandemic, one Costco employee posted photos on Imgur showing empty
shelves, cases, and cabinets. That employee told Bored Panda that while it was busy and
stressful, the management in their store was going above and beyond to make sure employees
knew they were appreciated.
And though some customers were rude and angry, others went out of their way to make employees
feel appreciated, a powerful reminder of how far a simple thanks can go.
The employee said,
"Please keep being friendly with us. We are doing our best. I have had so many people
... commend us for being there and doing what we do. It's thanks to politeness like this
that makes the job bearable at a time like this."
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