Restaurant workers say they're afraid to enforce COVID-19 safety precautions because they'll lose out on tips
- Restaurant workers say they're afraid to enforce COVID-19 safety protocols for fear of losing out on tips.
- According to a new survey from nonprofit One Fair Wage and the UC Berkeley Food Labor Research Center, two-thirds of workers reported receiving a lower-than-usual tip after enforcing health and safety measures.
- The findings mirror a broader trend of outbursts, threats, and even assault against food service workers and retail employees since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Restaurant workers say they're afraid to enforce COVID-19 safety protocols for fear of losing out on tips, according to a new survey.
The nonprofit One Fair Wage and the UC Berkeley Food Labor Research Center surveyed food service workers' experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. Roughly 1,675 food service workers were surveyed between October 20 and November 10 in five states — New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois, and Pennsylvania — as well as Washington, DC.
The findings showed that many food service workers are at high risk of contracting COVID, don't have adequate health protection at work, and are being subjected to increased sexual harassment during the pandemic. The report also found that the pandemic has been detrimental to workers' wages.
Overall, food service workers are making less in tips than they were prior to the pandemic, with 83% reporting that tips have declined. For a significant portion of the workers surveyed — nearly two-thirds — their tips have been cut in half. Many food service workers rely on tips to make up the bulk of their pay, as the federal minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 per hour.
Restaurant workers reported that their fear of losing out on tips has made them hesitant to enforce safety protocols among diners. Two-thirds of workers reported receiving a lower-than-usual tip after enforcing health and safety measures, and 78% of those surveyed said diners have become hostile when they're asked to follow safety guidelines like wearing a mask.
The findings mirror a broader trend in the retail and service industries. Since the onset of the pandemic, those workers have been tasked with ensuring customers comply with public safety guidelines, which has resulted in outbursts, threats, and even violent assault. In May, retail workers at stores like Kroger and Costco and restaurants like Waffle House told Business Insider's Kate Taylor and Áine Cain they were afraid to ask people to put on masks.
Despite public health officials' pleas for universal masking and numerous studies that have said wearing a mask reduces the spread of the coronavirus, the situation largely hasn't improved in subsequent months. Last month, a Walmart customer was arrested after police said he refused to put on a mask or leave the store, then proceeded to pull out brass knuckles.
Anti-mask violence has become such a persistent issue that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance in August for how to protect workers, including installing cameras, a panic button, and even a safe room for employees.
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