In-N-Out Burger is facing heat after sending out a memo to their workers that was subsequently leaked online. The memo outlined a new policy to go in effect, that bans face masks in five states, starting August 14th.
Workers and customers alike have been rallying against the new policy that seemingly promotes “smiles” over safety. The locations effected are located in; Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Utah.
A petition was started by “long Covid” sufferer, Gwen Bishop, resident of Seattle. The Change.org petition has quickly been gaining steam with over 16,500 signatures, out of it’s 25,000 goal.
The petition notes that: “With no cure for long COVID, masking and COVID-19 safety are crucial workers’ rights concerns. Businesses must not jeopardize employees’ lives.”
Even Physicians have been raising the alarm, like Dr. Judy Stone on Twitter who urged everyone to contact In-and-Out to try and get them to reverse their new anti-mask policy.
It started last week when an official memo started making the rounds, riling customers, and employees alike.
The leaked memo read: “No masks shall be worn in the store or support facility unless an associate has a valid medical note exempting him or her from the requirement. Associates who wear masks for medical reasons must wear a company-provided N-95 mask. Failure to comply with this new policy may result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to an including termination of employment, based on the severity and frequency of the violation.”
Chief Operating Officer, Danny Warnick released a statement after backlash started flying, clarifying the franchise’s stance on the matter:
“At In-N-Out Burger, we’ve communicated with our smiles since 1948, and a smiling associate helps to set a warm and inviting atmosphere in our stores. We believe that wearing a mask literally adds a barrier to communication — much of which is nonverbal — and promotes a more distant and disconnected environment,” Warnick said. “In balancing these fundamental values while still accommodating the specific circumstances affecting our associates, we have updated our internal guidelines to permit only those associates with a medical need to wear a face mask while working. “
The alarming policy chooses smiles over the rights of workers, and the safety of both workers and customers without batting an eye. With all the hoopla surrounding the situation, it remains to be seen if In-N-Out will reverse their decision.
