The experience of supermarket frontline employees during the coronavirus outbreak:
Interview Schedule
Everything that you say to me is anonymous: neither you or your employer will be identifiable. You do not
have to answer any questions that you do not wish to, although we do not ask anything particularly personal.
You can withdraw at any time. With your permission, I would like to record our conversation to make sure that
we pick up your experiences accurately. Is that okay with you?
Section A: Background
1. What is your job title, and what supermarket do you work for?
2. What are your contracted hours?
a. Prompt for patterns of work – Is it the same days every week, or different days/hours every
week? Do you work weekends, evenings, nights?
3. Tell me about your responsibilities in this job role?
4. Tell me about your family responsibilities?
a. Prompt: Childcare (of your own, or others’ children), dependent adult care? Any other
commitments?
b. If applicable: Who cares for X when you are at work?
c. If applicable: How does your work hours fit into these family obligations?
Section B: ‘Pre-coronavirus’ experiences of work
1. Thinking about work prior to the coronavirus outbreak, take me through a ‘typical’ day of work.
2. What words would you use to characterise your work?
3. How would you describe management in your store?
a. Prompt for levels of management: Line manager, store manager.
4. How would you describe your colleagues in your store?
a. Prompt: Are you friends with any of your colleagues? Do you do social activities together?
5. How would you describe your customers?
Section C: The crisis unfolds
1. Can you recall when people at work started talking about coronavirus at work?
a. Prompt: Messages from managers?
b. Prompt: conversation among colleagues?
2. Were there any changes in working practices at this early stage?
3. What did you think about the threat of the virus at that time?
a. Prompt: Did you take this risk seriously, or not? Why?
Section D: Lockdown
On March 20th, the UK Government announced a ‘lockdown’. Bars, restaurants, non-essential shops, and other
venues where people gather were closed. People were instructed not to leave their homes unless essential,
including essential work. This led to people stocking up on foods during this week. If you were working during
this week…
1. How would you characterise your experiences of work during ‘lockdown’ week?
2. Tell me what working in your store was like during this week?
3. Did you observe differences in customers’ behaviours? Can you give me examples?
4. What was managers’ response during this week?
a. Prompt: Communication with staff?
b. Prompt: Consultation with staff?
c. Prompt: Corporate communication?
5. Any changes in your working life during this week?
a. Prompt: Hours/days you’ve worked?
b. Prompt: Increased / decreased workload, why?
c. Prompt: Worked in other departments?
d. Prompt: New safety processes / PPE?
6. How did you feel about working during this week?
a. Prompt: Safe/unsafe? Why?
b. Prompt: Concern for becoming infected, getting ill yourself / bringing it home?
Prompt: by management
1. Was your department/store affected by absences? How did that impact on your work?
a. Prompt: by management
b. Prompt: by colleagues
c. Prompt: yourself?
Section E: A new normal?
Thinking now about how work may have changed after that initial ‘lockdown week’…
1. What has changed in your work since the coronavirus crisis started?
a. Prompt: New safety equipment / policies in store?
b. Prompt: New work routine?
c. Prompt: Work responsibilities?
d. Prompt: How managers manage (inclusive?)
2. Do you feel at risk at work? Why?
a. Prompt: Is enough being done to minimise your risk?
b. Prompt: would you prefer not to work for [company name] during this time?
Are there any other comments you want to raise with me that you think I should know about with regards to
your experience of working during the coronavirus outbreak?
Thank you for your time.