Frontline workers: Beth the post office worker

By Simon Ruppert

Sep 15, 2020

While many businesses across the world have seen income dry up under COVID-19 restrictions, many post and courier services have become busier.

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The Ensign's latest essential, frontline worker article features Beth Thomas, who owns and operates the West End Post Office with her parents.

And that business is a new acquisition with the family having the keys for just five weeks.

“We were at the Goorambat Post Office for about 10 years,” Beth said.

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“We've had the Bootmakers Cafe in Arundel St for about a year and because dad is dad he is always looking for the next project and the next thing to do.

“And because of the business including a milk bar we can combine what we know about running post offices and cafes to create something a bit different.”

Beth said the business had been busy since they opened, which she put down to the businesses moving online and people looking to send care packages to friends and family.

“In the last five weeks we have seen a lot of people sending parcels,” Beth said.

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“We know all the poor people down in Melbourne are locked down, so lots of people have been sending care packages.

“We also have lots of people who come in to pay bills.

“It will be interesting to see what will happen when restrictions are eased.”

Speaking of the COVID-19 restrictions, like all businesses across Victoria Beth has put measures in place to protect staff and customers.

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“We have hand sanitisers at each station and we sanitise all the pens after people use them,” Beth said.

“We also did the online COVID-19 training.

“And we’ve got the plastic screens up and measures in place to support social distancing.

“We also have a limit on the amount of people we allow in the shop at once.”

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