Ending the State Mask Mandate

My State ended its mask mandate today.

Which, I've known has been coming for a month or so now.

But it's been one of those stressors stressing me out on the back burner.

Because corporate, for now, is still requiring that masks be worn in the store. Even with the ending of the mask mandate state wide.

Which thankfully, I'm aware of other businesses and such that still require masks. 

But at the same time...

I wasn't looking forward to having to argue with customers about the fact that as a privately owned business our store has every right to require that customers wear masks.

I mean, I had a lady yell at me not three days ago for requiring masks to be worn in the store when their spouse apparently 'can't wear a mask or else they'd vomit all over our floors' (not the worst thing those floors have seen I'm sure.) and that because we still require them (because the customer apparently never considered buying a face shield for their spouse to wear so that they could enter the store as it would cover their face and not restrict their breathing) they'd never be shopping here again.

So yah.

I was expecting to have an uptick in those less than stellar conversations because of our policy. 

*exhales*

But yesterday, our new DM sent out an Email stating that with the mask mandate ending our policy from here on out is to provide masks for customers to wear up front, and to make sure everyone working in the store is wearing a mask.

But if a customer comes into the store with no mask on.

We're not supposed to say anything. No confrontation. No telling them that we have masks up front. We basically just stay mum and do our best to social distance from those individuals while helping them. XP Bleh. 

I mean...on the one hand it's a relief. Because most of the stress at work has come from having to approach customers not wearing masks and ask if they have a mask they can wear and then direct them to where the masks are or offer to go grab them one.

It was stressful because there isn't always an easy way to tell if the customer will be completely understanding and be like "oh i forgot!" and put one on.

Or if they'll fly into a Karen-esque rage and throw a tantrum and start spouting off some BS about their rights being violated and the latest conspiracy theory and yada yada yada things I've heard a million times before and still don't care about. XP bleh. 

So it's nice to not have to confront people about not wearing maks.

But it still irritates me beyond measure to have SEVEN big visible signs at the front of the store, on our doors, on the floor, on the podium, on our cages saying "Masks Required" and still have customers come waltz in without masks on acting like proud peacocks. *exhales* 

There's just that 'air' to them that is like nails on a chalkboard.

Like can't you READ. Can't you respect the rights of other people? Don't you care about our SAFETY??

Apparently not. No they just want life to return to normal and go everywhere maskless.

Which would be great. IF we were all vaccinated. 

But barely half of my coworkers have gotten their first shot. 

I probably would have been more understanding if we'd had vaccines available to all of us sooner.

If ESSENTIAL workers had had FIRST dibs on the vaccine. 

You know those Grocery Store Workers and Pet Store workers and everyone else who has to face the public every single day and deal with them and are at higher risk of exposure than other individuals.

*exhales*

So yah.

The fact that the mandate ended today was stressing me out.

Because I honestly was expecting to walk into work and see that all the customers no longer were wearing masks. That they were ignoring our visible policy of MASKS required and just wandering around like things were 'normal' again.

Thankfully.

At least 90% of our customers were still wearing masks today.

Hopefully it stays that high.

Though I'm sure that the later it got in the day that more anti-maskers probably showed up.

They don't tend to be as visible in the mornings. But we get more people without masks in in the afternoons.

But still.

It was comforting in a way to know that at least most of the customers shopping with us still respected our policies enough to wear their masks.

Hopefully it stays that way until our store no longer requires that masks be worn.

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi