After much dismay from consumers, governments, and employees of the company itself, GameStop will finally be closing its doors to regular walk-in traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moving to a “delivery at the door” model which allows consumers to place orders online and pick them up “curbside”, we’re not sure this officially qualifies as “store closures”.
In a letter to employees released Saturday evening and obtained by Kotaku, CEO George Sherman says that the company will also be giving employees up to 80 hours additional paid time off or two weeks extra pay during this time. Again, this seems like a half-step in which the company should be paying employees throughout the store closures, especially as this ordeal is likely to last far longer than two weeks.
Thankfully, for those employees who do wish to stay home, the company is allowing any employee who does not feel comfortable to go to work to stay home, noting that it “will not impact your position with the company.”
We all wish for COVID-19 to be over soon, and while most business are shuttered under government mandate or doing so voluntarily, it has taken far too long for GameStop to rescind its position that it is an essential retail establishment and finally close up shop.
