The University of Arizona in the USA conducted a study titled "Frontline workers in Arizona are at risk: The impact of Kovid-19 on safety, health and financial areas", in which it examined market workers. A total of 3,996 employees who are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers' International Union (UFCW) participated in the survey.
CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CAUSE OF STRESS
While 55 percent of respondents said they felt they could be verbally threatened by an angry customer, the results revealed that customer behavior is a major source of stress. One employee commented, "Customers come into my personal space and give me excuses as to why they can't wear masks. But I wear masks for eight hours every day to protect them."
“WE ARE LIVING ANXIETY AND ANXIETY”
Evaluating the results of the study, Psychiatrist Dr. from Istanbul Gelişim University. Instructor Member Recep Emre Tan stated that the mental health of the market employees deteriorated in this process and said, “The pandemic has turned into a social disease rather than an individuality. We have all experienced some spiritual dilemmas created by the anxiety, worry and uncertainty that we all experience. Healthcare workers come first among those with mental distress. However, market personnel, valets, couriers and factory workers who have to work this period are also under mental burden," he said.
Tan said, “In the study, it was seen that nearly 60 percent of market workers were adversely affected by the coronavirus. On the other hand, 20 percent of them had depression and anxiety disorder, which reached the level of the disease. Everyone is confined to their homes, but we go to the markets to buy basic necessities. We do not see our relatives, but we see the market employees.”
“NEEDS EDUCATION”
Stating that the most important stress factor for market employees is customer behavior, Tan said, “Managers expect them to comply with the customer satisfaction policy. Not knowing how to communicate with the customer and not managing the mental state well cause some conflicts between the employee and the customer. There are some problems with customers who do not follow the social distance rule and do not wear masks. We need to tell everyone, starting with children, what the coronavirus is and how it is transmitted. We should also inform them about how to protect themselves, and provide the equipment. In this period, we should not put customer satisfaction and sales pressure on employees so much. "People who have to work for economic reasons are the people most affected by the pandemic," he said.
“SET EMPATHY”
Tan said, “We need to understand the feelings of the other, develop empathy, and obey the rules we are told. We have no right to hurt anyone or to express our anger. We may have mental problems, but we must not forget that the person in front of us is also an employee.”
“EMPLOYEE FEAR OF DEATH”
Saying that anxiety arises from uncertainties, Tan said, “It is necessary to know how the disease is transmitted. The life safety of people is dangerous, they can lose their lives. Grocery workers initially fear getting sick and dying. Flexible working, correct protection is very important. It is very difficult to maintain mental health if the managers show an approach of 'if you don't like it, go' and people have to work in bad conditions. Survival or unemployment? The employee who is in such a dilemma will eventually experience mental distress. The personal rights of market employees should be protected and even increased. Training should be given on how to communicate with customers in times of crisis.
KAYA: I RENTAL, I HAVE TO WORK
Market employee Erdal Kaya, who said that he protected himself as much as he could, said, “I have a child at home, it is difficult, but there is nothing to do, I have to work. I am worried that I will infect my child. My house is rent, it's hard to get by. My only concern is to pay my rent, even if there is an illness, we have to work," he said.
YILMAZ: WE'RE BEING VERY TENSE AND NARROW
Explaining that they see everyone who comes to the market as potential patients, Ali İhsan Yılmaz said, “We take precautions accordingly. About half past 7 in the morning
We wear the mask, we never take it off until 23.00 in the evening. Of course we change it from time to time, but we can't get oxygen. I haven't taken off my mask for a year. This started my breathing problem. We become very tense and irritable. We are now fighting with customers in the face of situations that we would not normally react to. We had a heavy trauma, all employees are like that. At the beginning of the pandemic, we were attacked, we heard swearing, we were insulted. Not so now, when we warn customers, they do what is necessary. From time to time their noses are open, they lower it to their chin, we warn you. We don't wait at the entrance of the market and let them in," he said.
SÜTCÜ: WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY WITH PEOPLE AND MONEY
Şebnem Sütcü, on the other hand, said that her psychology was negatively affected by the pandemic, and said, “Because we are not at home under any restrictions, we spend busy Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. make people a little more sensitive
