Retail Workers in Their 60s, 70s, and 80s Say They're Worried About Their Health -- but Need the Money

The U.S. Labor Department estimates that almost 25 percent of retail workers are 55 or older and 7 percent are over 65, which means that the demographic most vulnerable to the coronavirus is increasingly on the front lines of the crisis, reports the Washington Post . Supermarkets across the nation have made few concessions for their 4.4 million employees who are 55-plus, with many workers saying they lack access to protective equipment like gloves or enough disinfectant to wipe down cash registers. According to Walmart spokesperson Lorenzo Lopez, the retailer is letting employees take unpaid time off if they feel uncomfortable at work. Walmart has also been adding hand sanitizer dispensers and other sanitary gear to its stores and has stopped requiring workers to check customer receipts at the door "to help with social distancing." Employees who test positive for the virus also are being offered as much as two weeks of paid leave. Many older Americans saw their retirement accounts hemorrhage during the last recession and took part-time service-sector jobs so they could ease into retirement. Amid the worsening pandemic, grocery chains and pharmacies have announced plans to hire hundreds of thousands of new workers, and add incentives like wage hikes and bonuses. However, many older workers say these measures fall short of protecting them from the virus, which is increasingly life-threatening with age.