This pandemic has hit so many people like a truck, and caused a lot of financial difficulties for most. At the beginning of the pandemic, people were told to take a few weeks off from work, which quickly turned into people losing their jobs. And with so many people not receiving a stimulus check and having trouble applying for unemployment it has been a stressful time. While many people might think service workers are lucky to have kept their jobs and still earn a living, they are also forgetting how difficult it is for service workers right now.
Even before the pandemic service workers were treated poorly. Most barely make more than minimum wage, and a lot don’t even make that. Right now though they are being treated worse than before. Many restaurants and coffee shops are keeping their dining areas open, claiming that you have to wear a mask to be allowed in but you can take it off when you are seated. Or they don’t even require their customers to wear face masks but require their employees to. And you might be thinking that it’s okay because everyone will be practicing social distancing but that’s not how that works. The servers still have to come within 6 feet to take orders and deliver them, so social distancing is pointless. And wearing face masks works best when both sets of people are wearing them. The servers aren’t protected from getting covid but they can’t not work because they need the money.
There are of course still restaurants and coffee shops that don’t allow people to sit and eat their food there. They rely mostly on takeout, which is much safer for the people who work there. However a lot of people seem to think that since it is takeout they don’t have to tip. The problem with this is that it’s legal in the many states to pay servers as low as $2.13 which they justify by saying they can make the rest through tips. So what are servers who rely on tips to make a living supposed to do? Not only are servers and service workers expected to work during a pandemic with coworkers who might have covid, but customers who don’t wear masks can spread covid to service workers who can in turn spread it to their coworkers or other customers.
My personal opinion on the topic is that people should always tip their servers, especially during this pandemic. They need to make a living to support themselves, and it is hard to find another job when so many places have closed down. I also think everyone should wear a mask when they go out in public, if not for you then for the people around you. Treat service workers with the respect they deserve. They are risking their health everyday for their jobs.