This presentation will be read by Lorena Tribe on behalf of a colleague who requested to remain annonymous. "During the pandemic, I worked onsite at a small manufacturing company. I was the only employee who followed safe covid practices such as masking and social distancing. As a junior employee with no direct reports, I found it challenging to advocate for policies that no one else in the company seemed interested in adopting, especially since we had no symptomatic cases. I struggled to find balance between being a team player, keeping myself safe at work, and advocating for the safety of everyone. I was hesitant to require that other people alter their behavior around me in the absence of company policy. I frequently discussed my thoughts on covid mitigation in general with my supervisors, but rarely as a direct complaint. Twice I asked for our company to adopt a mask policy, but I was ignored or told it was impossible. The turning point came when I threatened to complain externally. I was immediately listened to, supported, and allowed to write a covid policy for our company that would comply with our state’s mandate for businesses. This year, I extended too much grace and trust to our management, and I wish I had escalated my complaint the moment we failed to comply with state requirements. It was a valuable learning experience on how to request responsibility from those in charge, even when it feels futile or unpopular."

Covid safety measures: Navigating an uncompliant workplace

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.