I work part time in the produce section of my local grocery store. While some days are very hectic, such as the day before a long weekend, there are often long stretches when your mind is just left to ponder. Nothing earth shattering, just "I wonder".
Here's how one chain of thought went. At work I am required to wear a name tag. It is the size of a debit card, bright white with my first name printed in black ink, font size 40 Arial. It is very visible and eliminates any chance for anonymity. I have worked there a year and it still startles me when a complete stranger addresses me by name.
The name tag however changes when you're in management. The higher you're up the management chain, the more discreet your name tag is. The overall size is smaller, the color is brushed gold, the letter font size 12. It even includes a last name. A customer has to look carefully and be relatively close - COVID safe distance - to read it. They can't just look over from the banana aisle and call out your name as you stand beside the Courtland apples. The big big boss doesn't have a name tag at all. He alone has the power to decide where and when to share his own name.
I realize that this observation is hardly earth shattering and probably not worthy of being posted to the world wide web but hey, at least I have beaten my depression laced writer's block for a few minutes and strung together some sentences. My grand conclusion is that the lower your pay grade, the less privacy and identity you are afforded.
Of course, it's probably has less to do with Capitalism and more to do with your level of interaction with the customers that dictates your font size. To share your name is to be friendly. You want the customer to feel at ease when they ask you where the cherries are and demand to know why they're not yet available from Canada.
