GameStop is temporarily shutting its doors to the public

Gaming retailer GameStop has made the decision to shut all its physical locations as of March 22nd, opting for a ‘delivery at the door only’ approach instead.

GameStop CEO George Sherman sent out a letter (as obtained by Kotaku) to all employees that outlined the ‘delivery at the door’ approach and laid out the financial compensation for GameStop employees.

The new delivery method requires the customer to either order their product online, order their product through the GameStop app, or scan a QR code at a store location. The product will be “picked up and packed” by the in-store employees, who will then work with the customer to allow them to pick up their order either curbside or at the store’s door.

If you’re thinking of using this approach, just be aware that only eligible stores in certain states across the USA will be implementing it, so check with your local store first.

“We will not make you work if you don’t feel comfortable doing so,” Sherman wrote. “Please coordinate with your supervisor if that is the case.  We respect that everyone has personal situations and preferences, so your decision will not impact your position with the company.”

As for financial compensation during the retailer’s temporary closing during the coronavirus pandemic, hourly employees who are PTO eligible will receive two weeks (80 hours) of additional PTO.

Those ineligible for PTO will be paid for two additional weeks of base pay calculated on the weekly average number of hours they’ve worked over the last 10 weeks.

Sherman also said that full-time benefit eligible employees will be receiving reimbursement for one full month of employee benefit contributions for the month of April.

The 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has officially been classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. At the time of publishing, there have been 292,142 cases and 12,784 deaths confirmed globally.

If you start displaying symptoms of COVID-19, the smartest thing to do is to isolate yourself from others and remain at home until you recover. If you start feeling worse, seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Maintaining good hygiene practices, such as washing your hands regularly and covering your mouth when you cough and sneeze, can help to prevent the spread of most viruses and keep yourself and others safe from infection.

It’s important to note that this virus does not discriminate in who it infects. Even if you’re lucky enough to be asymptomatic, you can still be a carrier of COVID-19, and you can still infect others. Be smart and stay at home.

For any concerns regarding COVID-19, you can visit the World Health Organization website to check on the status of the outbreak and educate yourself on related issues.