Like many employees of The GIANT Company in the Harrisburg area, I routinely end my shifts with pain in my back and feet. This discomfort is a direct result of standing for long hours at cash registers and service counters without the ability to rest. As such, I am urging The GIANT Company to take action and provide chairs at these crucial points in their stores.

Across the world, many countries have grocery stores that provide chairs to the cashiers who are manning the register. A popular business fail is Walmart trying to succeed in Germany, but they were reported numerous times for poor employee safety. Walmart tried using its policies from the U.S. thinking they would put other stores out of business and dominate the market. However, due to Walmart’s extremely low prices, the German government forced them to raise prices because selling at a loss puts other places out of business. Let’s not be like Walmart, but more like Aldi’s. Employees are encouraged to sit down in chairs at registers and they work efficiently and thoroughly. There is no research that proves sitting down negatively impacts work performance. We should not have to suffer through a shift just because of outdated views.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, prolonged standing, as experienced by cashiers and customer service agents, can have adverse effects on one's health, including back pain, leg pain, foot problems, and muscle tension. It is, therefore, not just a matter of comfort, but also of health and wellbeing.

Moreover, the 2017 National Health Interview Survey estimates that lower back pain accounts for more than a third of all work-related musculoskeletal disorders. These are real issues that affect thousands, if not millions, of workers in the United States alone.

No employee should go home each day in pain due to their work environment, especially when a simple solution exists. By providing chairs at cash registers and service counters, The GIANT Company can improve the livelihood of their employees, create a better workspace, and affirm their commitment to their workers' health and safety.

Cashiers sitting down is normalized by the older generations as “lazy” and “unprofessional.” Someone should not have to sacrifice their health because of what someone thinks it makes them look like.

Please, join me in asking The GIANT Company to take this necessary action. Signing this petition is not just supporting me; it's voicing support for every hard-working employee who has experienced discomfort from prolonged standing. Together we can make a difference. Please, sign this petition.