A week before New York City ground to a halt, I arrived four hours late for my shift at Joe Coffee. I was carrying two suitcases, a bag of food and a bag full of my film camera equipment. I had just spent most of the morning packing and cleaning my room in my apartment and was staying with a coworker of mine until my flight at 11 a.m. the next day. My parents and I had decided to fly me back to California. 

When I came in, it was hauntingly slow.

I have worked as a barista in training at Joe Coffee since October. This job has brought me new friends and connections that I will cherish forever; however, nothing gold can stay — as Robert Frost said — and recently, I had considered leaving the job but was not planning on doing so until I had secured other, preferred employment. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, my anxieties about coming into work and handling customers and food rose. Initially, I had told my work I would be finishing out the hours I was scheduled for and then I would leave. I didn’t intend to quit permanently, but did not want to be working there throughout this pandemic. I was considering flying to California for the study week if the situation got worse and did not want to continue to expose myself to any illness for fear of exposing my parents — both who are over the age of 60, though they do remain in good health for the most part — and also exposing one of my roommates, and best friend, who is immunocompromised. 

My last shift at Joe Coffee on March 13 was the strangest shift I have ever worked in any foodservice job I have had. 

First, we weren’t allowed to accept customer’s personal mugs; then there were no more condiment bars or to-stay drinks; next, we removed our seating and furniture. Reduced hours followed. The rules and regulations continue to change. All of the staff wondered, ‘What will become of my job in the next several days?’ 

That all being said, during this time, employers should not have expected employees to come into work. We were allowed to call out of work if we did not wish to be there for health and safety reasons, but we still had to find coverage for our shifts. This requirement led me, and others I know who have friends and family who fall under compromised categories when it comes to exposure of COVID-19, to quit our jobs. 

On March 17 we got the notice that due to concern for customer safety all Joe Coffee locations would shut down operations and be “closed until further notice.”  Lack of available staff may also have played a part in that decision. 

During my last shift working at Joe, many of the few customers we had did not leave a tip. This angered me immensely. Here I am putting myself and people I care about at risk, all so you can get your large, iced oat matcha latte. I am putting my family and best friend at risk. You can’t even tip me your 40 cents in change? 

Some customers were annoyed to have me pour their cream and milk and wait for me to grab them a lid and a straw. Some heard we were not allowing personal mugs and were so dissuaded that they made angry remarks and left. It is not our fault that our establishment is placing these rules and regulations. In fact, these rules are more for the safety and retention of the customer rather than the employee. 

We worked because we have to; we served because we have to, and, in times like these, we should not feel as though we have to work in these conditions in order to afford to live comfortably. 

Right now, all across the United States, we are being told to stay inside and to lessen our frequenting to restaurants, bars and cafes; however, there are also people working in these industries who depend on their jobs and take-home pay. If we go out, everyone’s health is at risk. If we stay in, our collective financial well-being is at risk. It’s heads or tails: both sides lose. 

That being said — though I believe we should distance and limit our interactions with the service industry — if you decide to order takeout or purchase goods from any business that remains open during this pandemic, consider offering these places extra support. These restaurants and cafes are either shutting down because they have to, or doing as much as they can to stay open and not go out of business. 
So please, if you decide to order from a cafe — or any service business remaining open — be considerate to the workers there. Consider yourself when you go to pay — what if you were the one working right now? Consider the jobs of service workers as more than a convenience; leave us a tip.