Everyone is welcome at Tesco, and even though we are behind a mask we can still have a connection with our customers . “
Pride on the frontline. Covid-19 has brought about so many changes in our daily lives, including the way we shop. Meet Darren, who has been working with Tesco throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and for the last 18 months.
1. A year on, how have you been coping with COVID-19? It has been a strange time. Everyone has had a different experience with Covid-19 but I try to focus on the positives. I’ve been working throughout it. As with everything, there are good days and bad days. We have a great team in the Thurles store, we always look out for each other and our customers. On the bad days, I can always count on my co-workers for a little boost. Inside any store or shop you always have that one person that just automatically brightens up your day, and someone to help make the day better, we have two particular, Front End Manager Caroline and my Deputy Manager Catriona, there’s just something about them that can have you laughing, singing and dancing in seconds and in times of COVID and restrictions it was much needed to get through. I’m excited to see society beginning to safely reopen – I’m living for the first social gathering with a couple of friends, outdoors! 2. What is your day-to-day routine both in and out of work? Personally, I started my healthy food journey in 2018 and started documenting it on Instagram over at @darrynsfood and post healthy alternatives to foods that I love, I’m not a sit down and eat a salad type of person. Over the last year, on my days off, I’ve shared a lot of meals there, and some pictures of my partner and dogs and outings with my family. My partner Allan will tell you that he’s taken a few of the pictures I’ve posted on my account, but to be fair would burn water, which in turn isn’t that healthy! I’ve loved the extra time with my partner and our dogs. We’re together 10 years and have two furbabies Nicki who’s 10, and Ruby who’s 6, so we’re always busying bringing them for walks and playing when we’re not working or cooking! Workwise, I’m looking forward to the future and getting settled in my new role as Compliance Team Leader. My days are very different in this position compared to what I’ve known the last 16 months but my experience from being a Customer Assistant, will come in handy as I’ve picked up a few things. 3. How do you plan to celebrate Cork Pride 2021? I can’t wait to have a reason to celebrate! We won’t let the week go by without celebrating. We might even dress Nicki and Ruby up in some rainbow colours! I’m planning to do a healthy brunch at home with Allan and following guidelines, if permitted with the restrictions, I’ll book a dinner with a couple of friends and of course if there is a virtual Pride well be sitting back with a few drinks and enjoying the festivities and then like always catch a few episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I love attending the Cork Pride parade Allan and myself have been to a few over the years, some local and some afar and I can’t wait to get back to it next year, hopefully! I haven’t had the chance to experience it with my Tesco colleagues due to the Pandemic so I’m already living for Cork Pride 2022, in person. I love being part of a team and company that champions inclusivity, everyone is accepted for who we are. There’s a great community of colleagues in Thurles and nationally too, I’m proud to be part of it.
Darren Loughnane Compliance Team Leader at Tesco Thurles
Retail is more on the frontline than ever before, has this changed the way you work? I started working with Tesco in January 2020, just before the pandemic emerged. There have been lots of new protocols and measures put in place to help keep everyone safe, be it on the colleague side or the customer side. At this point, I’mmore used to working with all the restrictions and guidelines in place than not. It feels normal being behind a screen, wearing a mask and keeping a distance from colleagues and customers. But we can always do it with a smile on our face, even if it’s behind the mask! In saying that, obviously, the last year hasn’t been easy, but we’ve worked together and I’ve learned so much from the team in Thurles. I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to evolve and grow in the last 16 months – I’ve just moved positions from Customer Assistant to Compliance Team Leader in the Thurles store. I’m looking forward to a new challenge! I won’t be a regular on the tills anymore, but I still plan to chat to all my regular customers, they are our top priority at the end of the day and I don’t want to lose the relationships I’ve built with people since I started. Everyone is welcome at Tesco, and even though we are behind a mask we can still have a connection with our customers on a regular basis. I’ve heard it time and time again how we as a team are helping brighten our customers day but truth is customers actually brighten our day by their chats at the tills, the masked smiles and hellos in the aisles and the waves passing the shop.
Happy Pride from everyone at Tesco
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