100 signatures reached
To: CEO of Jersey Mike’s Subs, Peter Cancro
Jersey Mike's Subs is NOT an essential business
"Be a Sub Above" - Slogan for Jersey Mikes, Open since 1956
Currently, due to the unfortunate circumstances and the Covid-19 pandemic, I suggest that all Jersey Mike's Sub store be closed indefinitely, until at least all quarantine and lockdown laws have been lifted.
Due to the increased risk of exposure and the exponential growth of confirmed COVID-19 cases, I am befuddled by our business's decision to perform high-value marketing (Free Delivery, 50% Deals, etc.), when we are not even able to supply enough employee's without breaking social-distancing laws. As a fellow employee, I worry about the increasing risk of not only my coworkers' personal health but the physical strain and mental stress that comes with it.
Why is this important?
The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 continues to rise throughout the United States. At this current moment of writing, there over 100 thousand confirmed cases in the United States (World Health Organization, March 29th) and approximately 1700 open stores (Jersey Mike's "Locations By State"). If the average store has about 7-10 workers, that is roughly 11-17 thousand employees exposed to hundreds of customers every day. My argument is that by removing Jersey Mike's Subs out of the equation during this global pandemic, we can effectively reduce the potential of infection and diseases for not only our customers but employees as well.
As someone who currently works at a Jersey Mike's store - at one particular location that is not even sufficiently designed to sustain the 6ft. social-distancing law - the responsibility of maintaining order without enough resources is starting to become unbearable. I've personally seen customers that will come in with clear indications/symptoms and cough and touch various objects, whether intentionally or not. We do our best to enforce the rules, but I can't (and shouldn't) force someone out of the store. Everyone gives the same reasoning that "it isn't a big deal". So instead, we then have to wait for them to leave on their own accord, stop the entire flow of work in order to disinfect and sanitize with the proper procedures. However, since we have 6 different apps/methods to order, deals which cause individuals to purchase an exorbitant amount of food, and various people walking in at any given moment, we do NOT have the time.
So, you may think we should put more employees on during the shift, but that just increases the exact same problem we are trying to avoid. We can't keep up this level of performance without severe implications for our coworker's personal health, and we don't even have the option for various government aid because we are still technically employed. The hours have been cut, yet we are still expected to perform twice the amount of tasks. You claim that we are "Essential", but every day you keep pushing this agenda, you are putting your "Essential" workers on the front line for no personal gain but your own. I enjoy my job immensely, but we all know that we are not "Essential". Jersey Mike's Subs is not "Essential".
