Media Releases and Opportunities

When COVID-19 began to spread around the world almost two years ago, it quickly became clear how much people appreciated those working in essential services, such as health care, shipping and infrastructure maintenance. Workers were cheered and widely praised for carrying out these vital duties.

Others on the frontlines, such as grocery store, pharmacy and convenience store employees, received less attention despite facing similar risks that sometimes carry complex consequences.

Frontline retail workers (FRWs) have dealt directly with customers throughout the pandemic. Many have had to carry out the responsibilities of their jobs while ensuring their safety and the safety of their families, making it difficult at times to manage that trio of competing interests.

Haorui Wu, a Canada Research Chair in Resilience and an assistant professor in Dalhousie’s School of Social Work, is exploring that balancing act by measuring the FRWs’ individual-work-family challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Wu and a colleague at the University of Calgary will do a Canada-wide online survey with FRWs to examine the coronavirus-specific challenges they confront in the workplace, while trying to protect themselves and their families. They will see how that affected their own and their families’ overall well-being, while also consulting with industry, public health officials and policy makers to develop ways to support FRWs.

Dr. Wu is available to discuss the project and how it could lead to improved workplace conditions for these essential workers, better emergency response plans and the identification of ways to support them in the current and future crises.

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Media contact:
Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca