After being shut down as non-essential in March, retail stores can join other businesses in Ohio starting Tuesday, operating with new restrictions to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, some workers say they’re worried about going back.
Many businesses that were closed are unlikely to open with at full staff levels due to new distancing requirements.
Some employees say they are afraid to go back to work. Abigail Hazlett says she’s unlikely to return to her telemarketing job because the office isn’t any safer now than it was before.
“They gave memos like, ‘Hey, wash your hands,’ and they put little things of Lysol out, but generally, it was just up to us,” she said.
Hazlett says telemarketers’ desks are still too close together to practice safe social distancing.
Many businesses have reworked floor space to give more distance and are reducing the occupants allowed at any one time.
Some have installed plexiglass partitions between employees and customers and in some cases, both employees and customers are required to wear masks.
