Honestly, I Prefer Wearing a Mask at Work Beyond Health Reasons
Experience of a food service worker
I don’t mind still wearing a mask inside for the sake of public health, but usually, it’s a personal obligation, not a true desire.
When working as a barista at a small bakery, however, I almost wish face masks were permanently part of our uniform like our aprons.
For context, just the employees are required to wear masks at the establishment I work at, at least for now.
Some reasons I don’t mind the policy are silly. Like how with a mask, customers can’t notice me chomping on the warm almond brioches that we couldn’t sell.
Or shallow, like how dozens or hundreds of customers a day don’t have to see the tiredness that must be evident on my face during my morning shifts, or even my afternoon shifts.
But primarily, I think masks help me retain some dignity in front of aggressive customers.
If a customer makes a degrading comment to me, they are not saying it to my face. They don’t even know what my face looks like. I can only speak for myself of course, but a mask feels like a buffer between me and rude customers. Their barbs or unfounded anger feel less personal. And they may be looking to provoke but they can only see a…
