Frontline workers are experiencing unprecedented pressure that is affecting their mental, emotional and physical well-being.<\/p>\n
\u201cMidway through summer and the people getting coronavirus has only increased in the
\nUnited States,\u201d said grocery store receiver Michael Randall, 66. \u201cIf the summer is like this, the winter will not be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although protective personal equipment such as disposable masks and gloves reduce the
\nrisk of exposure, these measures do not alleviate the constant stress for many frontline workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has affected me drastically,\u201d said Christa Nanos, a 40-year old Valley Transit Authority bus operator. \u201cI\u2019m not myself when doing my job because I have to change the way I do it as the policies change every five seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stress management is critical for many frontline workers to keep themselves professional
\nand motivated to continue working.<\/p>\n
The WHO recommends staying informed by reliable sources, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and staying connected to help cope with the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo on a hike. Tackle things on your to-do list,\u201d Nanos said. \u201cTalk to your family and friends to keep touch. Find something to do to keep you distracted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tammy Homen, a 54-year-old grocery store worker, had a similar response.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the beginning, I was frightened and didn\u2019t come to work,\u201d Homen said. \u201cHowever,
\nI\u2019m not as scared because I put my faith in God. He is in control, and I\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a show of support for frontline workers, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act) on May 15, which includes $200 billion for frontline workers, but the bill failed in the U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n
Many employers, including Wal-Mart, Amazon and Kroger, had a temporary pay
\nincrease, also known as hazard pay.<\/p>\n
They also relaxed their time and attendance policies for their workers to take unpaid time off without the risk of being terminated.<\/p>\n
Some employers ended both policies while the risk exposure remained steady or increased.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just us who are on the line, but we can head home to those who are at risk,\u201d
\nYbarra said. \u201cIt involves us and others. I do believe that hazard pay should come back. It would make us feel more appreciated (by our employers) as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n
For some, this time has brought up underlying tensions in their personal relationships and caused for a deeper bond with those closest to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy relationship with my parents is better than ever before. I talked about my fears of
\nmoving, and they revealed their own fears,\u201d said Ybarra. \u201cAs bad as this has been for so many, I think it has been a chance for everyone to figure out what matters most in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Burgie, enrolled in JOURN 22 News Writing and Reporting course, was a journalism student at San Jose City College this summer.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Frontline workers are experiencing unprecedented pressure that is affecting their mental, emotional and physical well-being. \u201cMidway through summer and the people getting coronavirus has only increased in the United States,\u201d said grocery store receiver Michael Randall, 66. \u201cIf the summer is like this, the winter will not be fun.\u201d Although protective personal equipment such as…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14923,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[40,869,913,1270,1269,91,42,93,915,85,1268],"staff_name":[1267],"class_list":["post-14917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-city-college-times","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-frontline-workers","tag-heroes-act","tag-journalism","tag-journalism-program","tag-san-jose-city-college","tag-shelter-in-place","tag-sjcc","tag-u-s-senate","staff_name-mark-burgie"],"yoast_head":"\n