i still wear a mask. i walked into work yesterday and my shift goes "you know you dont have to wear that, right?" and i just went "yeah, but i am"

The thing that gets me is that this whole time, the CDC has said wearing a mask doesn't really protect the wearer, it protects people around them. So yes, I'm still masked up, but that doesn't make me feel any safer with everyone else around me unmasked. At this point, I'm mostly still wearing mine because I like not being told to smile more by creepy old men.

We don't owe ANYONE a reason for remaining masked, not our SM, not our SSVs, not customers, partners, no one. Anyone who remarks is classless, dumb, rude and wrong.

I am currently the only masked partner in my store today and I hate it.

I still can’t control my facial reactions so I’m keeping it on. Also, I can hide the fact that I’m yawning.

Blue state and about half our partners are choosing to mask still. It's a personal choice, don't let anyone make you feel uncomfortable about it.

I'm in a sorta red area, less so than where i used to live. Most of my coworkers are going without masks but I'm keeping mine. If customers ask(they already do) its bc my roommate is immunocompromised but honestly it hides my resting bitch face and helps with dysphoria when i get to shave. Plus nobody will care if i have a piercing out of dress code if its not visible.

Honestly imho we should have masks be the norm in food service anyway. Maybe I've become a germaphobe though.

Literally tho, it’s still recent since the new strain came out and y’all think we’re still in the clear?

we’re we all not struggling cus of COVID cases like 2 months ago? these partners be brazen

ran the floor today with all of my partners still masking up, including myself. Most of my store is still choosing to keep their masks on. I’m fully vaccinated and not at risk but some customers STILL don’t know the meaning of personal space and it just makes me feel a lil safer.

I live in Florida, and it’s spring break. I’m wearing my damn mask lol.

I'm still masking up, I'm also In a red state and immunocompromised

I won’t take mine off. I don’t trust customers (literally have had customers come in, admit that they have the flu, wearing no mask). It also hides my face from customers and my not-so-customer-service-friendly facial reactions.

None of my coworkers (including myself) have taken ours off yet

They’ll have to take my mask off my cold dead body

i still wear my mask and i’m the only one who was on shift today. i spent 3 weeks on a ventilator, got wet long, had a chest tube, pneumonia (2x), and blood clots in my lungs all just last year and i didn’t even have covid, just one medical problem that caused a bunch of other stuff. so yeah, i’m not taking any risks. i’m also in a red state

I just got covid last week... so yeah I'll still be masking when I get back.

There’s only 2-3 partners at my store that aren’t wearing masks. Yesterday I opened and the ssv was like “oh yeah todays the day we can choose to stop wearing masks.” And I said I was still going to and she said she was too. A lot of us are still double-masking.

ive got a handful of facial piercings, my immune system is wack, plus i just dont want people seeing my face, yknow? i like the mild anonymity i have with a mask, so im gonna keep wearing them. i already know both closing shift leads wont be masking, rheyve made it very clear, but my other night crew partners are all on the fence about it so we'll see

Last time we were allowed to take them off they hit a reverse reverse on it real quick

after last time starbucks lifted the mandate, i’ll keep my mask on until i know for sure covid is as good as dead

Lol I don’t want people to see my facial expressions 😂

A few partners still wear them. I am not one to judge nor tell them they don’t have to wear it. I refuse to take away anyone’s autonomy and choices like the government does.

The reason I’m still wearing mine is actually because China is having a Covid surge right now... I mean full blown lock down mode once again. It’s not on the news of course. I’d keep wearing it no matter what anyone says personally

Two of the partners at our store that wanted to not wear masks today were pretty much guilted back into wearing them because 5 other partners on the floor all said they were going to keep wearing them forever and they didn’t want to be the only person on the floor not wearing one. And such is life, people who think they are doing right by others actually making them feel inferior and small. Bummer.

Didn't work yesterday, but am doing Cleanplay today. Gonna be wearing my mask since my fiance has some immuno issues and I can't trust this city I live in, nobody has cared about the mask mandate since day 1.

I leave it tucked under my chin just in case I need to be discreet about the bullsh*t people do and say

i’m wearing my mask bc my coworkers haven’t really seen me without it and i want to be mysterious

edit: i’m kidding i just feel comfortable with my mask and with all these customers coughing up a lung in the drive thru…. i’ll stick with my mask

Our mask mandates are being lifted at the end of the week. I'm still going yo keep wearing mine, as I can trust most of my coworkers are as well. I'm more worried about how some of our regulars are going to behave...mostly this one covid denier that drives around with a swastika on his truck

Yeah, it's not comfortable. Anti-mask people made a big deal about respecting personal choices despite breaking mandates and federal directives, then I'm getting hassled for voluntarily wearing one when I don't have to?

Thankfully my store is still masking, it's just borrows and nosy customers.

I hate wearing a mask but I think I would hate *not* wearing it more… I don’t want to get sick with ANYTHING. I work two jobs for a reason and I’m a big baby when I get sick with even the cold, lol. If a mask can keep stuff like flu and other things away from me… I am glad to keep wearing it

As a CNA who worked on a COVID wing before getting burnt out and quitting for Starbucks. My whole thing with the masks was get vaccinated and you can take them off. That has always been my mindset and probably always will be. Here’s a link that explains why I believe that. https://youtu.be/qajON7H6W9M I’ve been in this COVID world since March 2020 and just got out not too long ago

Im def keeping my mask on still. I don’t trust any of my stores nasty ass customers lmfao. It also hides my constant bitch face and keeps me hidden from gross pervy men.

Me too.

I still wear a mask and I’m ready to tell all the customers that say the pitying “aw I’m sorry you still have to wear one” that it’s my choice to bc I care about protecting myself and others

I’m still masking up for multiple reasons, not just because I am aware and paying attention that other countries are seeing a dramatic rise in BA.2 and we’ll soon be behind them, but also just more comfortable not having people see my face. Yesterday there was only 1 partner not masked during my 5ish hour shift, so I was pretty pleased. Today there were 2 not masked and I know for a fact neither of them are vaccinated either, which figures. I’ve made it this long without ever testing positive, I’ve had a couple times where I had seemingly related symptoms, so either my immune system is just somehow superior at keeping it from being detected or I have just gotten lucky because I have been cautious throughout this whole thing.

our store was absolutely ravaged by covid like last month, no I'm not taking off my fucking mask. I know how dangerous covid is for immunocomoromised people one those with chronic illness, I fucking live with one of those people and I'm trying to keep her safe. its actually kind of infuriating but at least I know that an ok chunk of people in my store are taking this shit seriously. good on ya op, and I hope you don't get shit for it 🙏

Our district removed all of our glass dividers when we asked them not to so everyone at my store is still masking… for more reason than that but that was a big one

nearly all of the stores in my area had limited hours or were closed due to covid isolations a week ago…the mandate lifts are gonna make it way worse.

personal opinion: i honestly feel like masks in food service should have always been mandatory. just think about how much we are talking and how some people accidentally spit or cough when they talk and stuff like that…but that’s just a personal opinion.

Still mask bc I’m sensitive of any typenof smells. If i smell something strong perfume, i get such a bad headache 🤕 and most people i deal with doesnt know how to use deodorant so I think I rather have my mask

I was the ONLY partner at my store wearing a mask today. Like y’all do you but i don’t trust the people who come in here even tho im fully Vaxxed LOL

I refuse to not wear a mask. I will be wearing mine for a while most likely

i’ve been double masking since the first time the cdc recommended it and i’m not gonna stop now. if my partners don’t wanna wear their masks, okay, but i’m not chancing it, especially with my own immunocompromisation and living with two elderly people and another immunocompromised person

yeah honestly I want to be able to not wear makeup and look decent LOL so mask is staying on

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I know that i’m going to be one of if not the only person wearing a mask tomorrow and i’m really upset about it. i’ve been thinking a lot about transferring

I am so glad that everyone in my store is deciding to keep their mask on. My GM made the comment of “I feel like it’s going to take one person to not wear a mask for the rest to follow but I’m personally keeping mine on” dude I really hope none of my people are followers! But at the same time I will not be mad if anyone chooses to not wear a mask because that’s their personal choice as long as they don’t get mad that I still wear mine, which I know they won’t since everyone’s pretty chill including the customers.

Like 3 partners have taken theirs off. Even the anti vaxxer was wearing one.

I’m fully vaccinated and boosted and I’m still masking because I haven’t gotten sick (other than covid) in years.
People are gross so imma keep masking. I don’t want their cold or flu or any of it. It just seems like a reasonable precaution to take to put a layer of protection on while working with the public.

I was the only one on my shift masked up....did not hear anything about it. Gonna stay that way because I haven't gotten cold/flu sick in two years. I have been wearing masks when I mow my lawn or something is burning near me anyway.

I'm still masked, one reason being my piercings another I have a bad immune system

I wear mine, because

1. I don't trust customers to not come in when sick

2. No makeup on the bottom half of my face

3. No man telling me to smile

4. Bad RBF

5. Makes it easier when customers are smoking in the drive-thru, when opening artificial sweeteners, and making matcha


I might take it off if I'm in the back doing the pull or just off the floor stuff, but when I'm behind the bar, it's staying on

I work in a drive thru only store, so I wear my mask when I'm on drive thru and close to customers, but I do feel comfortable having it off the rest of the time since no customers are allowed in the building. I also live in a pretty conservative area, so I definitely get anxious and still wear my mask in most public settings.

I still wear mine. Thankfully my Starbucks is pretty good. They said if we feel comfortable wearing one still it is our right to do so. Many of us kept ours on.

i’d sooo much rather mask up to hide my face. works wonders for social anxiety!

I don’t trust anyone to not be wearing a mask, I’ve seen people prepandemic come in sick as hell and they said they can work cuz they haven’t vomited and can’t take their temperature so they don’t think it’s a fever. And just continued their shift sick as hell because they didn’t have sick pay left

I’m a store manager and I just want my team to know what my face looks like.

I can’t see the future, but I could imagine that perhaps masks will be mandated again in my area come fall.

In the meantime, I want everyone to get an impression of who I am when I can emote with my full face.

I do be considerate if someone wants me to wear a mask around them in a situation where we can’t socially distance like being in BOH, on drive or on bar together, in an interview.

I’ve been really good about wearing a mask the entire pandemic. Never even forgot it while walking into a store, or something.

Until Starbucks said I can take the mask off, I was still wearing a mask literally everywhere outside of my home.

Now, I am still wearing a mask pretty much everywhere else. It’s only been two days, so ask me how I’m feeling in a few weeks.

For now, I’m just trying to give smiles like they’re going out of style. Today on cafe/ mobile bar I LOVED that I could actually project my voice, and I put away the order and didn’t feel like I was gasping for breath at the end.

Playing it by ear

We’re a red county, but almost all of our partners still mask. It’s basically just become the norm and I think we all just don’t really care or think about it.

Still wearing it too, I’m in North America

I started not masked yesterday and then put it on. I will wait till more partners at my store feel comfortable going without a mask before i drop my.

I wear mine everyday... in fact t on Monday their was a lady trying to hold her coughing while she stood at the hand off area ( she hold he coughs in at all) after 5 mins of this she said I'm choaking on ( she mumbled)... while I'm thinking too myself ur choaking on covid.

I'm still gonna mask at work!

I still wear my mask as do pretty much all of the baristas at my store and one of our regulars told us today that we should complain to corporate about it. Should’ve seen the look on his face when we told him that we’re all wearing them by choice.

I'm keeping mine on, only one coworker took theirs off but they've been against them since day one. My whole thing is if it makes my partners feel safer that I have one on it isn't the end of the world. I'm already so used to wearing one.

you’re not alone. even in an area with high vaccination rates, i’m more comfortable wearing a mask indoors—and that’s as a customer only being indoors for several minutes.

We have two immunocompromised people at my store. Every single one of us still wears a mask except for one person. I feel bad, but I definitely think of them differently now. They’re okay with risking the life of our partners just so they can take something off that we’ve formed a habit of wearing over the last 2 years? Doesn’t make any sense

I still wear mine as I have a sick sister and elderly neighbors who I care for and plus, I dont want to get covid at all.

I was so shocked! Luckily, I haven’t seen one worker at my store without one since it’s been lifted. Im thankful that my partners are as concerned as I am.

I still wear mine and thankfully so do my partners. Ive had a couple customers ask me so I just say better safe then sorry and just nod along to whatever nonsense they have to say cause I don’t want to have an argument.

My entire store still wears masks, despite the lifted mandate. We're not too far from a handful of medical centers and hospitals, plus we share a door with a hotel so it's honestly not something I'm entirely sure we will ever stop doing at my store, tbh.

I'm over the masks and ready to stop wearing them but still wore one yesterday after being out with a cold (covid negative). Looks like my store is 50/50. Both choices should be respected, and I will def have a word if I hear any customers questioning my coworkers on their choice. I also think I may keep the mask at the window bc people are gross and I just want to be ugly in peace.

I wore my mask at window but not at bar since I didn’t have to see any customers

There is nothing against you doing what’s comfortable for you, it’s just a face covering, wear it, don’t wear it. Honestly, in any kind of food service situation, we should all be wearing face coverings anyway, for how much talking over product we do

Most of my partners have stopped wearing them. I have too. Still kind of iffy about it though. It feels weird.

I wanna wear it but don’t wanna wear it 😩 I’m a very soft spoken person and I stutter a lot so people aren’t able to hear or see my mouth moving with the mask but I would want to wear the mask to protect certain customers that don’t have a strong immune system T-T

I went to 2 different stores in my town this week and all baristas were still masked. Keep wearing yours if you want. Don't give in to peer pressure!

Okay so there’s a few things to consider for yourself:

* How high are the daily Covid numbers where you live? Look at them now versus the last big wave which was January/February.

* How protected are you? I’m 2x vaxxed, boosted and I’ve had Covid in 2020.

* How protected are the people you live with? Don’t want to bring Covid home to your great grandma or your overweight dad.

* How comfortable are you in the store? I feel more comfortable wearing the mask when it’s busy with a lot of people in the store, but at night who really cares?

Lastly, this isn’t a simple yes or no answer: even with a mask on, getting Covid is just a numbers game, the mask helps your odds, but they could already just be good enough. Get vaxxed, stay safe.

I only do order and clean play shifts. I will still probably mask up depending on my other coworkers.

Not a single partner in my store is going along with lifting masks

I would never judge someone wearing one just like I would never judge someone not wearing one.

I would definitely send someone home if they were sick or had a sore throat and runny nose. And would heavily judge if they came in or came in without a mask on.

I feel like most of my coworkers are going to keep wearing them (I’m super part time now - I only work 1-2 shifts a week now, so I saw everyone last right before the mask rule took effect). I know most of my coworkers are vaccinated and I hang out with a number of them outside of work (usually unmasked unless in a location that should need it), so I have decided when I feel comfortable with myself being able to not make faces at customers beneath my mask, then I’ll go unmasked. But really, it’s up to you and what you’re comfortable with and if your coworkers give you shit about it, that’s on them. They’re in the wrong on that one. I totally understand your concern. I definitely don’t trust a good amount of people I’m around and tend to lean toward wearing a mask in a lot of situations because of it. You do you!

Wait are we allowed to not where them now? All my partners have been wearing them cuz our manager is making us. I don’t mind tho. I haven’t been to work in like 5 days

Most of my store is wearing masks. I still wear one so I can continue to make faces at customers

So far two people haven’t worn them and I know of at least one more who is planning to take it off soon.

I’ve only worked with one day part so far (my time is split between two) and I’m nervous for the other day part. A lot more of them are more lax than the day part I’ve been in so far.

Customers haven’t said anything YET but I’m very ready to tell them I mask by choice. Not only do we have a ton of clearly sick people come through our store, I’m somewhat immunocompromised and have a young kid. No thanks. Gonna keep my mask for a while.

I’m personally not gonna wear masks, but I think it’s stupid that people will shove in other faces their political opinions. Like seriously, here for a paycheck. Also think it’s kinda overbearing how much Starbucks’s political opinion is put on the employees and customers. Like regardless of whither I agree, as a customer, I’d rather just not hear politics being pushed on me by a coffee company.

I am immunocompromised. I have MS and am on an immunosuppressant. I’m so excited the mandate is lifted for us because I get super sweaty and gross naturally and the mask makes it so much worse. At my store, we seem to be about 75% non-wearers and 25% wearers and we live in a swing state. I’m all for it being the individuals choice on whether or not to wear them. I won’t hate or comment on you not wearing one if you will provide me the same respect.

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My store was maybe about 60/40 today with 60% wearing masks. We will still have a box of disposable ones if we want them. We all have our reasons and they can change day-today. My coworkers (and customers, tbh) have been pretty respectful of one another’s choices regarding masking which makes everyone’s life a little easier— plus we haven’t had covid spread between partners since late 2020 so hopefully the covid checkin system stays in place. And this is in suburban Minnesota so local politics are kind of split down the middle. Reading your guys’ comments I’m like wow things could be worse lol

I live in a red state. In a city, I live by myself, don't really socialize, I've gotten all of my vaccinations/boosters.... At this point I'm just tired of trying to protect the unvaccinated in my state. I'm tired of caring about people who don't care about others by being considerate and wearing a mask. So I just don't want to anymore. I've been masking in public long after the state mandates were lifted. I just can't with people anymore.

And let me be clear I am a fan of masks. But between Corporate not giving a shit about us, by requiring and Enforcing mask mandates, I just don't have the energy for it.

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I usually make some joke about "Oh, I've got awful coffee breath -- this is more for your sake than mine!" and they tend to laugh and move on.

Super annoying to even have to say something, but turning it lighthearted seems to work best in my experience. And I personally don't give a shit about why they think I'm wearing a mask, be it public safety, being a sheep, or bad breath.

Hahah my entire store is still masked up except for like three partners. I’m from WA tho

The way I’m so happy we don’t have to wear them anymore!!

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I didn't wear it yesterday but did today. Some of my coworkers are the same but vice versa. It's really not that deep.

In a newly red state (VA)

nobody in this comment section is fooling anyone. you’re using masking as an excuse to vocalize your thinly veiled misanthropy. im not saying you can’t or shouldn’t wear a mask, but you guys really act like it’s a moral virtue, and it isn’t.

i still wear a mask btw, because i like keeping my facial expressions to myself

You are living in fear. People get sick.

I was the first one to take my mask off when the mandate lifted. I’ve had Covid twice, I’m unvaccinated and wasn’t affected by it. I was never really afraid of it, but if you are you’re certainly welcome to feel however you want. Since 2020, I just calmly masked up whenever it was necessary and didn’t put up a fuss, but I didn’t like wearing them. They’re annoying. So when they said we could take them off, off it went. But, if you believe you need to wear a mask, I’m not gonna comment on it. It’s your body.

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There really is no scientific evidence of the fabric or paper masks working for very long anyway. I think if you are sick, stay home or wear one to help a little,but if you just look at mask mandates, it didn’t slow the spread.

🙄🙄🙄