Kaiser Permanente warned employees at its Oakland headquarters to stay inside the building during lunch. This comes after at least one incident of the healthcare giant’s employees being robbed as they went to get something to eat during lunch. Kaiser also stated that visitors should not schedule business meetings in Downtown Oakland. Only one nearby hotel has been approved for any business-related gatherings due to the overwhelming issue of crime in the area.
There are mixed reactions to Kaiser’s warning from local residents. Owners of nearby shops aren’t too happy about it due to the reduced foot traffic they will get. Lockdowns and the work-from-home epidemic have caused local eateries nationwide to suffer tremendously or shut down. Kaiser employees refusing to leave the building for lunch will dogpile onto an existing issue of low foot traffic volume for local establishments. Others empathize with the healthcare company’s plea because the crime and violence in Oakland cannot be ignored. Many Kaiser employees felt unsafe going to and from work long before the warning was issued.
SOURCES:
Kaiser tells workers to avoid going out for lunch in downtown Oakland due to crime risk – CBS San Francisco
Kaiser Issues a Stark Lunch Break Warning
Kaiser tells Oakland workers to stay inside, avoid eating out of office due to crime: report | Fox Business
Kaiser to Oakland workers: stay inside for work – and lunch
Kaiser tells workers in Oakland to stay in for lunch due to crime | KMPH
