Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Manitoba grocery sector: a qualitative analysis of media, organizational communications, and key informant interviews

Abstract

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of the food system, including the retail grocery sector. We sought to (objective 1) document and (objective 2) analyze the policies implemented in the grocery sector during the first wave of the pandemic in Manitoba, Canada. Methods Our qualitative policy analysis draws from organizational communications (websites and social media) (n = 79), news media articles (n = 95), and key informant interviews with individuals (n = 8) working within the grocery sector in urban and rural, Manitoba. Media and communications were extracted between March 9-May 8, 2020 and interviews were conducted in July–August, 2020. Results Newly implemented policies due to the pandemic fell under four inter-related themes: Employee health and wellbeing, Safety measures, Operational measures, and Community support. Employee health and wellbeing included sub-themes of financial and social support, health recommendations and protocols, and new employee guidelines. Safety measures encompassed numerous policies pertaining to sanitation, personal protection, transmission prevention, physical distancing, and limiting access. Overall, new policies were discussed as effective in making grocery shopping as safe as possible given the situation. Compliance and enforcement, employee teamwork, and support for employees were key themes related to perceptions of policy success in a challenging and inequitable context. Nevertheless, government support and communication was needed as well to ensure safety within the grocery sector. Conclusions The grocery sector reacted to the pandemic with the swift implementation of policies to address food supply issues, prevent transmission of the virus, support their employees as essential workers, and better serve high-risk populations.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food systems in Manitoba, Canada and ways forward for resilience: a scoping review

“…Two studies examined additional aspects of policy responses by food retail. Riediger et al (2022) examined how the provincial grocery sector introduced new policies, such as those for employee health, safety, and operations, to minimize pandemic risks. Robinson et al (2022) looked at how decision-making in response to pandemic risks in the foodservice industry in Winnipeg, Manitoba and other Canadian cities influenced sustainability policies.…”

Risky Others: Covid-19 Reconstitutions of Risk, Governance, and Stigmatization of Bodies

“…COVID-19 made visible many intersecting inequities and entrenched oppressions experienced by food workers across food systems. Scholar food activists have mobilized public awareness for those in precarious jobs exposed to risks that will outlast heroic rhetorical flourishes (Agrawal et al, 2022;Godrich et al, 2022;Riediger et al, 2022;Spring et al, 2022). In North America, relevant reforms and strategies included wage support, reduced hours for employee rest, dedicated time for restocking, providing safety equipment, support for employee ownership, and protection from dismissal (Cohen, 2022;Riediger et al, 2022).…”

“…Scholar food activists have mobilized public awareness for those in precarious jobs exposed to risks that will outlast heroic rhetorical flourishes (Agrawal et al, 2022;Godrich et al, 2022;Riediger et al, 2022;Spring et al, 2022). In North America, relevant reforms and strategies included wage support, reduced hours for employee rest, dedicated time for restocking, providing safety equipment, support for employee ownership, and protection from dismissal (Cohen, 2022;Riediger et al, 2022). Reforms for delivery workers included ensuring bathroom access, requiring the software applications managing the workers' employment to disclose their tips, establishing minimum per trip payments for workers, and prohibiting apps from charging fees for wages (Cohen, 2022).…”

Activities and Communication Patterns of the Communication and Informatics Office of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in the Covid-19 Vaccination Program

“…However, there are some shortcomings in conveying vaccine information on social media according to (Wright et al 2022), that communication on social media has not implemented an integral communication pattern, the interaction pattern should have two-way information between three factors, namely the government, the public and interested parties. The vaccination program required by the government until now there are people Who do not believe it was revealed in the research of (Riediger et al 2022), that people in the South Hamlet District Some people still do not believe the Sinovac vaccine because it will endanger their lives. From this statement, it can be seen that the importance of effective communication that must be conveyed by the government to convince the public, especially from social media.…”