Krispy Kreme: The Not So Sweet Stories

The virus that nobody expected, but has changed everybody’s life. This virus is COVID-19, and one place in particular it has changed is the lives of workers here at a local Krispy Kreme in Homewood IL.

On March 11, 2020. the World Health Organization officially declared a pandemic as a result of COVID-19, and two days later a national emergency was declared in the United States. Consequently, we saw businesses decrease their staffs, and shorten the amount of hours each employee may work.

This Krispy Kreme was one of those businesses. Kaniya Kershaw, a recent high school graduate who has been working at Krispy Kreme for a year said that her income has dropped significantly.

“My checks used to be like $750 now when the COVID thing began they dropped to around $250.” she said.

The assistant general manager at Krispy Kreme. Angel Smith. who has been working at this location for over four years also experienced a cut in hours that not only caused her to get behind on her rent, but also resulted in her losing her car.

Smith also mentioned how the stimulus checks given out by the government were not of much help to her.

“ My rent by itself is $1,200, so what am I supposed to do for the rest of those months as far as paying my bills?” Smith said. “It wasn’t anything truly helpful.”

These stories come from those who were still able to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. But those who test positive for COVID-19 they are by law required to quarantine for at least two weeks. At Krispy Kreme that means two weeks of no pay.

Janiya Watson, an employee at Krispy Kreme for a year, faced that hardship on a personal level after she was diagnosed with COVID-19.

“I wasn’t able to come to work for a month, and we don’t get paid for that,” Watson said. “With us having COVID, or anything Krispy Kreme doesn’t help us with any of that.”

As of May 22, 2020. Illinois went to Phase 4 which allowed businesses to re-open as long as a face mask is worn, and social distancing is maintained. This allowed workers at this location to go back to working their normal amount of hours although still crippled by the lasting damages the COVID-19 pandemic has left behind.