Editor’s Note: This is the third and final installment in a series of stories about how stress is impacting Chatham County during the spread of COVID-19. According to research conducted by BodyNutrition.org, North Carolina is the third-most stressed state in the country.
Teens across the country have faced a number of challenges during the pandemic, from making the switch to online classes to having no choice but to celebrate their high school graduations virtually.
Teens with jobs in the service industry have also experienced added stress, thanks to COVID-19.
Among the 19.3 million workers ages 16 to 24 in the U.S. economy, 9.2 million are employed in service-sector establishments, according to a study from the Pew Research Center that analyzed information published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And with younger workers making up 24% of employment in higher-risk industries overall, teens across the country have risked their own health during the pandemic while working. Some have even faced layoffs and unemployment in areas with more severe COVID-19 outbreaks.
Although Yaseen Ali did not lose his job due to COVID, he left his job as a precaution — with concerns about contracting and spreading the virus.
Ali, 18, a recent Jordan-Matthews graduate, was working alongside his friend Jose Tepile, 19, at Mountaire Farms, a chicken processing plant in Siler City. The two friends were working at the plant during the month of March and into mid-April, as the pandemic continued to spread across the U.S.
“We were in the department called ‘cone debone,’” Ali said. “It’s considered the toughest department because it’s actually the most labor.”
The two were concerned that COVID-19 would spread to the processing plant.
“We were talking about it one day, while we were walking to work and we were like, ‘This virus is getting serious, like in China and New York.’ And said, ‘How long till you think it gets to Siler?’”
The next day, someone tested positive for coronavirus at Mountaire Farms.
Both young men worked 12-13 hour shifts, but they would often reach 15 hours. They would volunteer to help with sanitation days, removing garbage and taking on additional responsibilities in the plant.
“I mean, it’s not like they were telling us to do it, but we made it the option. If we’re gonna work, we’re really going to put in the work,” Ali said.
Ali and Tepile stopped working at the plant in April. Tepile was let go for not following call-out procedure to use his vacation days — a simple and “lazy” mistake, he said.
Poultry plants across the state have been heavily impacted by COVID-19, including the Tyson Foods chicken processing facility in Wilkes County, where 570 workers tested positive for the virus. Tyson Foods is the largest employer in that county.
Harley Dority, a 16-year-old rising junior at Chatham Central High School, started her job as a sandwich artist at Subway during the pandemic. She fears contracting the virus at work and potentially spreading it to her family. However, she got the job to save money for college and a car.
“I probably tried to get a job at the wrong time,” she said. “But I needed one bad.”
Across town, another recent Jordan-Matthews graduate, Kayli McIntosh, had a different experience working during COVID-19. Not only did she get to continue her job at the Piggly Wiggly in Siler City, but she was promoted to closing cashier manager — a promotion she got in the midst of the pandemic.
“I pretty much worked a full-time job during this time. I worked 30-40 hours every week,” she said.
However, her promotion came at a cost. McIntosh said that some days at the store were “extremely busy” and her stress levels were “definitely affected.”
“Working at a grocery store was especially hard during the pandemic because everyone was hectic and frantically stocking up,” she said. “There weren’t any ‘normal’ days. Every day was busy, non-stop transactions. Wearing a mask for a nine hour shift was also very stressful.”
For McIntosh, it was important for her to work, even during a pandemic.
“I pay my own bills,” she said. “I also had to save up to buy myself a car for college. I also need the money for dorm stuff, books and things like that.”
Now, Ali works at Rite Stop, a gas station and store off of U.S. Hwy. 64 in Siler City, which his family owns.
At the store, he continues to take all of the safety precautions necessary to keep himself safe and healthy during this time, in addition to the safety protocols that are put in place by the state.
“We got like a little shield on top of us and the counter is six feet apart,” Ali said. “I wash my hands frequently. I don’t touch anything after touching the money. A lot of things can get passed down through money.”
Tepile, of Siler City, now works at Bear Creek Arsenal in Sanford. Tepile landed the job in June after a job search was made more lengthy due to the coronavirus crisis.
“I was waiting for a long time,” Tepile said. “And that was actually making me look bad and I was actually feeling bad not working because everybody in my house was already going back to work.”
Despite the added stress these teens have experienced during the pandemic, Tepile says their hard work can pay off in the long run.
“We’re gonna be working most of our lives,” Tepile says. “We’re young, and I feel like now’s the time to basically take advantage of our situations.”
Tepile also said that it never hurts to plan for the unexpected.
“Save up as much money as you can, because you never know when you’re gonna need it in the future,” he said.
Ali echoed his friend.
“For right now, it’s all about making money. But for later on, it’s more than that — it’s about making a life,” he said.
Ali and Tepile are already looking to the future and have plans to continue their education. No matter what happens, they know they will be working to support themselves.
“I have to,” Tepile said.
The digital project that accompanies this series can be found at https://www.chathamnewsrecord.com/stories/coping-during-covid-19,6027