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Coronavirus Tracker: May 1

US: Over 1.1 Million Cases - 65K Dead - 157K Recovered
Worldwide: Over 3.3 Million Cases - 237K Dead - 1M Recovered

U.S. Law Enforcement Deaths | NYPD Deaths: 37
Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 82+
 

Retail Workers Nationwide Stage Coordinated 'Sick-Out' to Protest Poor Virus Protections

On May 1st, workers from Amazon, Whole Foods, Instacart, FedEx, Target, and Walmart joined together in a series of work stoppages to protest conditions and equipment in the face of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

The actions have been organized by a range of groups within the various companies, but are timed to coincide with International Workers’ Day. The groups are encouraging customers to boycott the stores and services for the duration of the day.

Organizers at Amazon said thousands of employees are participating in the actions nationwide. The groups are calling for better practices and equipment to protect frontline workers from contracting the disease at work. Amazon delivery service partners are asking for professional cleaners to sanitize vehicles at the end of each shift. Currently, drivers are provided with cleaning supplies and asked to sanitize the vehicles themselves. Amazon has refused to disclose the number of employees who have tested positive for COVID-19, communicating only individual cases to the employees affected.

At Target, workers complained it took too long for the company to provide workers with personal protective equipment, and little is being done to enforce social distancing within stores. According to Target Workers Unite, over 100 stores and some distribution centers are represented in the sickout.

Whole Foods workers organized their first sick-out protest on 31 March, and are joining the 1 May day of action calling on more workers to join the sick-out and participate in organized protests. The sick-out includes demands such as increased hazard pay, paid sick leave for workers who choose to isolate or self-quarantine, and the closure of stores in response to confirmed coronavirus cases among workers.

Shoppers at Instacart organized their first sick-out protest on 30 March, and Shipt shoppers launched their own independent sick-out protest on 7 April. theverge.com theguardian.com

Amazon Response to Friday's Worker Strikes:
"While we respect people's right to express themselves, we object to the irresponsible actions of labor groups in spreading misinformation and making false claims about Amazon during this unprecedented health and economic crisis," an Amazon spokesperson said. "What's true is that masks, temperature checks, hand sanitizer, increased time off, increased pay, and more are standard across our Amazon and Whole Food Market networks already." retaildive.com

As Covid-19 deaths mount in retail, Walmart workers take matters into own hands with contact-tracing plan
A national labor non-profit on Wednesday launched a virtual tracker (areyousafe.work) for coronavirus cases in Walmart stores around the country, citing the retail giant’s inaction in the face of the pandemic in the midst of rising infections and deaths of employees.

“The rise of deaths and infections of Walmart associates show clearly that the company is not only failing to keep its associates and customers safe, but also failing to communicate clearly about store conditions,” Michigan Walmart worker Ruby Ann Woolwine said in a statement. “We can’t wait for more half-measures—we’re taking matters into our own hands to get the information we deserve to know.”

The Covid-19 tracker “will allow associates nationwide to report infections and store safety conditions” in a publicly available database, United for Respect said in a press release. rawstory.com

Click to view the Walmart worker COVID-19 tracker
 

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Logansport, IN: Nearly 900 workers at a Tyson Foods pork plant test positive
Nearly 900 workers at an Indiana Tyson Foods pork processing plant have tested positive for the coronavirus, a report said. The meat processing facility in Logansport is one of several Tyson plants across the country that have voluntarily closed due to virus outbreaks.

County officials have been working with Tyson, the largest US meat supplier, to develop a reopening plan, according to WISH-TV. The plan gained steam after President Trump on Tuesday invoked the Defense Production Act to mandate meat plants stay open during the pandemic, the report said.

The Logansport plant employs 2,200 people — 890, or 40 percent of which, have tested positive for the illness.

Tyson has also voluntarily idled its meat processing facilities in Waterloo and Perry, Iowa, and beef plants in Pasco, Washington and Dakota City, Nebraska while it completes cleaning of the facilities and workers there undergo screening. nypost.com

U.S. States Roll Back Restrictions as Lockdowns Ease Across Asia

Nonessential retailers are set to reopen in Alabama, Iowa and Texas, but California and New York remain cautious

The U.S. government’s social-distancing guidelines expired Thursday, replaced by recommendations that leave it up to each state to decide when and how best to reopen their economies.

Governors and local officials across the country took varying approaches, reflecting the virus’s uneven spread. By the end of the week, more than half the states in the country will have, in differing forms, relaxed restrictions enacted during the first days of the pandemic.

Nonessential retailers in Texas, Alabama and Iowa are set to reopen with capacity restrictions on Friday.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state planned to hire “an army” of up to 17,000 contact tracers to follow the path of those infected and determine whether their contacts should be isolated as restrictions eventually ease. wsj.com

NYC: Javits Center hospital to close after treating nearly 1,100 patients

The temporary US Army hospital at the Jacob K. Javits Center is closing Friday after treating nearly 1,100 patients with coronavirus, federal officials said. The makeshift, 1,000-room hospital — converted from four sections of exhibition space on Manhattan’s West Side — opened in late March after Gov. Andrew Cuomo requested the US Army Corps of Engineers to build at least four field hospitals and the Navy to deploy its USNS Comfort hospital ship to the city.

“Planning is ongoing for the drawdown of federal resources that are no longer needed due to the flattening of the curve,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “The remaining patients at the Jacob Javits Center are expected to be discharged or transferred today.”

Vital medical equipment and other supplies at the Javits Center and the three other completed facilities will remain in place in case there’s a second wave of COVID-19, WABC reports. nypost.com

Pay Them If You Send Them
A Guide to Employee Temperature Checks
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) gave employers the green light to take employees' temperatures to try and ward off the spread of the coronavirus in guidance updated March 18. But will taking temperatures really work?

"Generally, measuring an employee's body temperature is a medical examination," the EEOC stated. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits medical examinations unless they are job-related and consistent with business necessity.

Because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health authorities have acknowledged community spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, and have issued related precautions, "employers may measure employees' body temperature. However, employers should be aware that some people with COVID-19 do not have a fever," the agency stated. And some people with a fever do not have COVID-19.

Jeff Nowak, an attorney with Littler in Chicago, added that if employers want to take workers' temperatures, they should pay employees sent home for high temperatures to limit any legal risk, if they can afford to do so. shrm.org

Shoppers are flouting grocers' one-way aisle rules

Shoppers seem to be disregarding directional policies with particular abandon

They have waited patiently in line to get in, stared down empty shelves and even donned face masks. But telling consumers which way to walk through the supermarket might be asking too much.

Getting customers to follow all of the new safety guidelines they've put in place over the past two months has been challenging for retailers. But shoppers seem to be flouting one-way aisle policies many supermarket operators have put in place with particular abandon. Social media sites are bubbling with posts from irate customers who complain that other shoppers routinely disobey directional signage and violate social distancing protocols as they shove carts around stores. Analysts interviewed by Grocery Dive also say they've seen shoppers and employees disregarding one-way aisle rules in their local stores.

Disheartening trip to grocery store. Many people not wearing masks,
not obeying one-way aisles, hard to maintain six feet, people
fondling merchandise. We are terrible at cooperation.

Large chains like Walmart, Albertsons, Hy-Vee and Publix are among the grocers that have told shoppers they cannot reverse course when walking down aisles as a way to keep people from getting too close to each other. Stores are primarily relying on signage and their employees to direct customers once they enter.

Telling people not to walk freely while food shopping can be challenging for grocers because people are so accustomed to making their own choices in a supermarket, Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, said in an interview. "In this country, people don't like being told what to do ... it takes a lot of conscious thought not to behave in that way. grocerydive.com

What the CFO's Read
How to Prepare Your Workplace for Employees to Return

Planning and making good use of the remaining time employees are working from home can get your workplace up and functioning more quickly.

Until there is a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19, it’s clear that workplaces, particularly dense offices in major cities, will have to make some changes for employees to return. This need to adjust the office environment for employee safety comes at a time when budgets are straining under a recession and lost revenue. Planning and making good use of the remaining time during which employees are working from home can help reduce costs and get your workplace functioning more quickly.

Imagine the Post-Pandemic Office - Begin Taking Action - Pursue Landlord-Tenant Partnerships cfo.com

There's Hope For the Older Folks
Researchers pinpoint the ideal age for entrepreneurs, and it’s not twentysomething
Silicon Valley’s idolization of smart young upstarts is misguided, according to a fascinating meta-analysis of 102 studies of entrepreneurs. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) found that people who launch businesses in their 50s have greater financial success and higher satisfaction levels than younger entrepreneurs. fastcompany.com

Watch Out For Upcoming Video Requests
LinkedIn Adds New Video Intro and Interview Assessment Tools
to Improve Digital Recruitment

The Future of Interviewing is Here

LinkedIn’s adding a new way to help employers and candidates connect via video – an increasingly important consideration during the COVID-19 lockdowns - while it’s also launching a new, AI-enabled assessment tool that can help interview candidates better prepare for the interview process.

First off, with more job interviews being conducted in isolation, LinkedIn is fast-tracking the launch of its new video introductions process, which enables recruiters to ask candidates to submit a video response to a question, which can help to assess their communication skills and presentation. socialmediatoday.com

Editor's Note: Staging is everything! BTW - Have your spouse review before you push that button. If anything like mine, you'll do better. And remember West Point - No dress-down - If anything dress-Up. Just some thoughts

As explained by LinkedIn:
Get to Know Job Candidates Better and Faster with LinkedIn’s New Video Intro


Chicago Police Say Overall City Crime Was Down 30% in April

Double-digit drops in robberies, burglaries, thefts and other crime

Overall crime in Chicago fell by 30% in April 2020 compared to the same month last year amid a statewide stay-at-home order, according to statistics released by Chicago police. Despite the overall reduction in major crimes, the 207 shootings in April 2020 marked a 1% increase from the 194 shootings in April 2019, police said in a statement Friday. The number of murders fell by about 8%, from 61 in April 2019 to 56 in April 2020.

The city saw the most violent five-day period of 2020 so far between April 5 and 9.

The 30% drop in overall crime comes largely from double-digit reductions in criminal sexual assaults, robberies, aggravated batteries, burglaries, thefts and carjackings, police said.

There have been 625 shootings and 154 murders in Chicago so far this year, police said. Those are climbs of about 16% and 8%, respectively, through the same time period last year. suntimes.com

436+ Chicago police officers have tested positive for COVID-19; three have died
 

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Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Safety Manager job posted for Wakefern Food Corporation in Woodbridge, NJ
The Safety Manager will be responsible for the development and successful implementation of corporate distribution and retail safety programs. Creating and setting corporate goals, standard and metrics to measure progress and performance for safety. This role will also provide leadership, support, and direction to create a culture of safety throughout the organization and our retail space.

We are seeking a dynamic and safety focused professional to join our team as a Safety Manager. This is a corporate role reporting to the Director of Risk Management & Safety. indeed.com

Senior LP Job Postings Removed from Website:
•  Dir. of Security - Grassroots Cannabis - Chicago, IL
•  National Mgr, ORC & Special Investigations - Rite Aid - Camp Hill, PA
 

Apparel Retailers Sales Down 50% in March & Are In Trouble

Macy's to reopen 68 stores on Monday & 50 More May 11

Whole Foods offering free masks to all customers nationwide - Read Amazon's blog post

Reopening Considerations for Retail & Mixed-Use Property Owners

CDC May 1st: Watch for Symptoms of COVID-19

Dollar General Announces Additional $25 Million Investment in Employee Appreciation Bonuses

Trudeau announces Canada is banning assault-style weapons, following deadliest shooting in country's history


Quarterly Results
Amazon Q1 net sales up 26%, hits $75.5B
$41B product sales and $33B in services
 

Sean Donnelly is Senior Director Global Retail Asset Protection and Investigations at Under Armour and he considers innovation part of Under Armour’s DNA, which is also true for his asset protection department, and this feeds his desire to constantly innovate in a way that creates greater efficiencies from his team. When members of his Asset Protection (AP) team relayed information about an RFID-based EAS system, he was instantly intrigued.

In this session, we will dive into the following topics:

• Benefits of RFID for Loss Prevention
• Lessons learned by Under Armour’s asset protection team
• Roadmap to create complete loss prevention strategy
• Observations from the lock-down situation and future potential to respond more effectively using RFID
• How the reopen process looks like and what challenges and opportunities are

Register Now