GameStop customers in the United States will be required to wear a face mask at all stores, the company announced Friday. The new protocol will take effect on July 27. Customers with “health-related concerns or problems using a face covering” should use the GameStop online store.
“We believe this is the right thing to do to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our associates and customers from the growing expansion of COVID-19,” said GameStop CEO George Sherman. “Providing a safe environment in our stores for all customers and store associates remains our top priority, and wearing a face covering is a simple step each of us can take to ensure the safety of others in our stores.”
The US Centers for Disease Control began recommending facial masks in public in early April. Facial masks can prevent air particles from traveling as far as they could, a crucial step in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Obviously, not only sick people should wear masks; COVID-19 can also be transmitted through asymptomatic people, who can unknowingly transmit the virus.
It sounds simple, of course, but the new coronavirus pandemic “is more than a public health crisis,” as Recode wrote in May. Misinformation has made wearing masks a contentious political statement that has sparked protests in some places. Many states have implemented their own mask requirements, but many counties refuse to enforce those mandates.
Large retail stores have begun to issue their own policies that require shoppers to wear face masks indoors. GameStop joins a list of retailers with masking rules, including Target, Walmart, Publix, Best Buy, and Starbucks.
The mandate is in stark contrast to GameStop’s early response to the pandemic, in which the company argued that it was an “essential” business that should remain open when nonessential stores were to close. Employees told Polygon that they believed the company was putting its retail workers at risk. Days later, GameStop closed its U.S. stores to customers in response to the government shutdown, offering only curbside pickup and delivery. Stores began reopening in late April.
To update: A person who identified himself as a GameStop employee, who wished to remain anonymous, sent Polygon what appeared to be an internal note that was distributed to GameStop employees through its internal communication system, GSO. Polygon has contacted GameStop for confirmation.
The memo lists the “best practices” for targeting customers without masks: “Politely inform the customer, face masks / covers are now required for associates and customers at all GameStop stores.” If the customer doesn’t have a mask, the note says GameStop employees must offer a courtesy but can’t refuse service if the customer doesn’t comply.
“Do not ask a customer to leave the store if they are not wearing a face mask / cover,” says the memo. “If a customer refuses to wear a face mask / cover or tries to escalate the situation, ask them calmly how they can help and complete their transaction as quickly as possible.”
The employee told Polygon that the policy is “dangerous and cowardly.” Vice first reported on the memo, citing three employees’ frustration with the policy and including a quote from a company spokesperson, who said the policies were about “keeping our associates safe.”
