纽约（美国有线电视新闻网商业频道）山姆丹西在西雅图连锁超市 QFC 的 30 年里见证了这一切。但 Omicron 变体正在将他推向边缘。
Dancy 是一名前端主管，负责监督商店的收银机、自助结账亭、客户服务和酒类部门。 12 月下旬，由于高度传染性的 Covid-19 变种的传播导致人员短缺，他连续工作了 11 天。
现在，Omicron 的迅速传播给在经历了一场致命的流行病近两年后已经筋疲力尽的基本工人带来了新的压力。但是，与数以百万计的上班族不同，他们不能呆在家里谋生。
当地联合食品和商业工人工会的 62 岁店员说，丹西工作的商店的人员配备处于大流行以来的最差水平，甚至低于 2020 年 3 月的第一波疫情期间。他补充说，最近几个月员工已经辞职，管理层并没有取代他们。由于人手限制，这家商店不得不提前几天关门。
最近大量请病假的工人增加了 Dancy 和必须保持货架库存、帮助客户和完成其他任务的员工的额外责任。一些顾客还没有戴口罩购物，让他感到不安全。
“每一天都是一场斗争，”丹西说。 “我觉得自己过度劳累了。我一直很累。”
两周前，他在一个拥挤的星期天工作，当时商店人手不足。 “这是 30 年来我第一次想‘我不知道我能做多久了，我想做这个。'”
由 Kroger (KR) 拥有的 QFC 的一位发言人在一封电子邮件中表示，该连锁店为工人提供全面的福利待遇，包括平均每小时 18.72 美元的工资。拥有约 60 家门店的 QFC 也在积极招聘。 QFC 表示，它与卫生官员密切合作，创造安全的工作和购物环境，并减缓 Covid-19 的传播。
The grocery cashier ringing you up is not OK
New York (CNN Business)Sam Dancy has witnessed it all during his 30 years at supermarket chain QFC in Seattle. But the Omicron variant is pushing him to the brink.
Dancy is a front-end supervisor overseeing the store's cash registers, self-checkout kiosks, customer service and liquor departments. In late December he worked 11 straight days because of staffing shortages caused by the spread of the highly-contagious Covid-19 variant.
Now the rapid spread of Omicron is putting new pressure on essential workers already worn down after nearly two years working through a deadly pandemic. But, unlike millions of office workers, they can't stay home and make a living.
Staffing at the store where Dancy works is at its worst level since the pandemic, lower even than during the first wave in March 2020, said the 62-year-old shop steward for the local United Food and Commercial Workers union. Employees have quit in recent months and management has not replaced them, he added. The store has had to close early on some days because of staffing constraints.
The latest surge of workers calling out sick adds extra responsibilities for Dancy and the employees who have to keep shelves stocked, help customers and complete other tasks. Some customers also shop without a mask, making him feel unsafe.
"Every day has been a struggle," Dancy said. "I feel like I'm overexerting myself. I'm constantly tired."
Two weeks ago, he worked on a crowded Sunday when the store was short staffed. It "was the first time in 30 years I thought 'I don't know much longer I can and want to do this.'"
A spokesperson for QFC, which is owned by Kroger (KR), said in an email that the chain offers workers comprehensive benefit packages, including an average hourly wage of $18.72. QFC, with around 60 stores, is also actively hiring. QFC said it works closely with health officials to create a safe working and shopping environment and slow the spread of Covid-19.
