The current situation we are experiencing right now is weird, unusual and unprecedented. Wisconsin has issued a Stay-at-Home Order, which has significantly affected everyone’s lives. Despite this mandate, there are people who are still required to leave their house every day to go to work. People who still need to work outside of their homes are known as “essential workers”. This includes professions such as medicine, public safety, banking, etc. Restaurant employees are also considered essential. I am currently one of these essential employees, as I work at Starbucks. This means that I regularly leave the house in order to provide “essential” services to others, while placing myself at risk of contracting this worldwide virus. Essential employees go through a lot while working during a pandemic and deserve a little compassion and kindness. Through my experience working in the food industry during this time, I have come up with some tips on how to treat essential workers. While I have not worked in other professions, I am confident that the tips I provide below would be appreciated across all industries, but they are mostly directed at the food industry.
- Treat employees with respect
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Keep in mind that everyone is at risk for contracting this virus. The employees also need to stay safe as well as the customers. If you go to a restaurant, you are not only putting yourself at risk but also those employees. Many customers act as though the employee’s health does not matter. That being said, treat workers with the respect that you normally would and even more. Do not act disgusted if they touch your credit card or accidentally brush against your hand. They are just trying to do their job. If you are afraid of being infected by a worker, you have the option of staying at home. Grocery store delivery, food delivery, and cooking from home are always available and easily accessible!
- Do not tell workers how they should do their job and what rules they should follow
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Companies have made huge strides in trying to protect both their employees as well as their customers during this pandemic. This has come with new, more frequent and thorough cleaning schedules, hand-washing routines, and overall cleanliness standards that are more demanding than ever before. Workers are doing all they can to stay safe and keep customers safe. Therefore, please refrain from telling workers that they need to be doing more or should be doing something differently. Most of the time, they are abiding by the standards established by their employers and the CDC, and individual workers have little control over these regulations. They are taking everyone’s safety very seriously and doing the best they can.
- Tip!
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While tipping is always appreciated at restaurants, it is especially appreciated during this time. It encourages workers to come to work as they feel appreciated for what they are doing. It also can help out if they are unable to work as many hours and/or have family members who cannot work. Getting just a little extra money to get through these trying times is greatly appreciated. It also can put a smile on their faces after a long day!
- Smile and make conversation
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This one is super easy…just smile! Ask how their day is going and make small talk. A lot of essential employees work long hours and must deal with impatient and rude people. A simple smile and little conversation can make a huge difference in their day and create a better environment for both the customer and the employee. Social interaction is harder to come by with social distancing, so sometimes work can be their only interaction with others throughout the day. Mental health is also a huge issue during this time, so showing just a little kindness can go a long way.
- Thank them for working
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This goes along with tipping and smiling: thank them for working! Some companies gave their employees the option to continue working or take leave. Starbucks offered this option, and I continue to work due to my loyalty to the company, love for my coworkers and customers, and having something to keep myself busy. It also helps with college expenses. Workers want to provide you with excellent service and perhaps make this pandemic a little easier for everyone to live through. Expressing your appreciation can make it better for all of us.
- Only leave the house if needed
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Social distancing is super important to help flatten the curve and stop this pandemic from spreading any further. One way to improve social distancing habits is to leave the house only when absolutely necessary. There are legitimate reasons for needing to leave the house, but there are a lot of times where staying home would be in everyone’s best interest. Next time you’re about to leave the house, think about whether or not it is truly needed. Staying at home should make the quarantine shorter overall as it will decrease exposure.
- Try not to use cash
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While using cash is very common in restaurants, it also carries a lot of bacteria. Money goes through so many hands and is constantly passed from person to person. The bacteria on this money can cause serious illness depending on where it’s been. Please consider using credit cards or mobile pay during this time. This decreases the risk for both the customers and the employees as it eliminates direct contact with each other through the handling of money. Some restaurants have actually eliminated allowing customers to pay with cash all together but for those still accept it, only use it when there is no other option of paying or when tipping.
- Be patient
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A lot of restaurants are terribly understaffed due to illness, fear, immunocompromised workers, and those needing to be home to care for family. This can lead to longer wait times. Instead of getting frustrated, show patience and kindness, as many employees are exhausted and overworked. Oftentimes, they have no control over wait times. Many restaurants also now have limited hours to reduce and limit the exposure for both the customers and the employees. Be patient with those hours and try not to get frustrated if they are not open.
- Support small businesses
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While this is not true for everyone, there are many small businesses that are struggling financially right now. It is harder for small businesses to pay employees, utilities and rent in order to stay open. Many must close for a period of time because they often do not have as much money in reserves. A lot of small businesses are family-owned or individually-owned and cannot be without income for an extended period of time and therefore, have had to file bankruptcy. While corporations are also losing money, they have far more money on reserves to fall back on. It is important to support small businesses at this time since they are at a much higher risk of closing.
- Practice good hygeine
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While employees have strict cleaning and hygiene requirements to keep customers safe, please do your part to keep the workers safe. This means washing your hands and/or using hand sanitizer before making contact, maintaining distance between you and the workers as well as other customers, covering your mouth with a mask, scarf, etc. Essential employees are going to extra lengths to keep customers safe; it is your responsibility to try to keep them safe also.
It can be very hard to navigate through this unprecedented time, but with just a little kindness, respect and support, we can increase the safety, health and happiness of our communities. Following these basic tips can improve our interactions and create a better experience for both the customer and the employee!