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Appendix VII. Equity Focus Group Report
Equity Focus Group Report
The following report is based on 4 focus group discussions conducted in January, 2022. Twenty-four participants
took part. Of these, 15 (63%) were from Norfolk, 4 (17%) were from Newport News, and 1 each (5%) were from
Chesapeake, Hampton, Suffolk, and Portsmouth. Seven participants (29%) were men. Mean participant age was
54.8 years. All but one identified as Black or African American.
Qualitative data analysis was conducted to identify emergent themes across the following topics.
Topic 1: A healthy workplace
Participants discussed that a healthy workplace should consist of good cleaning practices and hygiene, COVID-19
prevention measures, and better communication.
Theme: Cleaning and hygiene have emerged as primary concerns in response to the pandemic
There is a heightened desire for cleanliness due to COVID-19. Having to be around other individuals outside of a
controlled environment (e.g., a household) was a concern.
Norfolk participant: “What they're doing outside they should do on the inside. And you know, as for, you
know, like their desks, and somebody come in or whatever, they wipe their desk down, you know, and
stuff, so they won't take this stuff home with them, you know, if somebody else different come in. I think
that's what they should do.”
Newport News participant: “Good vibes and good cleaning and good hygiene, 'cuz a lot of people don't
have good hygiene and a lot of people aren't clean and a lot of people have nasty attitudes. So if I think
everybody be on a positive vibe, positive role, and everybody to keep up with they hygiene and they
cleanliness, the world would go a little smoother.”
Newport News participant: “Um, I work and I know one thing I do like is they have been passing around,
like, um, hand sanitizer. Uh, the managers have like a, um, timer on how, like, I think it's every 30 minutes
we have to wash our hands. Um, they will literally go around to each station and be like, "Hey, wash your
hands, wash your hands." Um, another thing, like she said, keeping the areas clean, keeping things
wiped down. I have my own personal bacterial blocker. Um, you spray it, wipe it down and it's supposed
to block from bacteria. I have that but in my own station so that, like every hour, they want us to use it. So
stuff like that.”
Theme: COVID-19 prevention measures in the workplace should be consistent with those employed at
home
Reactions to COVID-19 have become embedded into everyday life in the workplace in other ways. Participants
reported having become accustomed to wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and, for some, becoming
vaccinated. Participants discussed wanting to continue these practices at the workplace in order to make it
healthier.
Chesapeake participant: “I think that mandates can be put in place, like, mask mandates, should be put in
place for any public place right now anyway. And I think that could really help, um, trying to keep people
safe.”
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