As angry customers protest safety guidelines, hospitality workers feel unsafe
Across the country, hospitality workers, with only limited resources and conflicting guidelines, worry about their safety as they continue to serve customers who don’t take the pandemic seriously. Reporters Tim Carman and Emily Heil from The Washington Post spoke to numerous employers and workers about the risks working in the restaurant industry right now. Jennifer Moreau, a former cook at a suburban Cincinnati restaurant, Senate Blue Ash, was told to refrain from posting on social media about a fellow employee’s positive test result and was expected to show up at work 24 hours later. Moreau did not return to work after fearing for her own safety. Meanwhile, Lena Schlegelmich works at Thunderhead Brewing in Nebraska. She stopped wearing a mask after her tips significantly decreased whenever she did, and customers mocked her for wearing a “face condom.” Each worker’s fears are as individual as their situations but one thing’s for sure: Their lives are at risk every day they come into work.
