By Rylie Lamar
Senior, English/Native American & Indigenous Studies, IUPUI
COVID-19 has become an overwhelming aspect of our lives over the past couple of months. Many people have had to say goodbye to their jobs, family members, friends, and some of the most rewarding moments of their lives. Many have been suffering with the brute force of non-stop emotions and stress over even simple day-to-day responsibilities. They have been plagued with worry that is not easily dismissed, ignored, or dealt with.
On March 23, I went to work as a barista at Starbucks just like I did for every shift. My friends and I talked about the usual things like picking up shifts and what not. None of us were expecting the news our manager gave us that day: Our location was shutting down. I would not be coming back for several weeks or perhaps longer.
As a college student steps away from graduating, it felt calming in a way. But I also felt sad. I was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English with minors in Creative Writing and Native American Indigenous Studies at IUPUI. Work provided structure that helped me stay on track with my responsibilities as a student. I was also making money so I could help my parents pay for some of my necessities. I had worked hard for nearly four years with the expectation I would get to walk across the stage and receive a diploma. I also worked hard at my part time job.
Luckily, I have not lost my job forever. I will be welcomed back once Indiana returns to whatever “new normal” that will exist when restrictions begin to be lifted. However, that may still be quite a while. My Starbucks location in Martinsville closed not because of CDC or state government guidelines, but because my boss simply thought it was in the best interest for every one of her employees to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
My boss asked us whether we wanted to transfer stores temporarily or receive catastrophe pay. The decision had to be quick. There was no time, really, to think about the “what if.” Like everyone else, I decided on the catastrophe pay.
This was my world: I would not have an income, I would not see my friends, I would not see my regular customers. Everyone around me was sad and upset, but I did not know how to feel. I was mostly indifferent about losing my job. Having some time away from work would be nice, I thought, although not within these circumstances.
As the news became more real, I was worried like everyone else who had lost their job. Questions ran through my mind about my income, bills, necessities. How would I manage my time now? Should I work at another store? Find another job? I had a feeling that since my location had closed, others would follow quickly.
And that’s what happened. One location after another began letting their partners go or worked to find shifts for them at different locations-if there were any to offer. In fact, baristas were losing their jobs left and right.
As were many others. According to WTHR, a local news station, the week ending March 14 saw 2,596 unemployed workers in the state. In just one week, the news station reported that number exploded to 59,755. And as of the week ending April 4, 133,639 unemployed workers have filed for unemployment.
For a while, I did not think about everyone else who was in the same predicament as me. I did not think about those who had full-time jobs and were losing them as well. I did not think about those deemed essential, being plagued with truckloads of work. I did not think about workers who were vital in keeping the government and every town and city in Indiana running.
Amid all the stress and turmoil, I was happy to learn that Starbucks intended to help me and many other partners. Rossann Williams, the President of Starbucks, sent us all a letter on April 1 letting us know what changes and precautionary measures were being taken for Starbucks’ employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These benefits included catastrophe pay, which equaled the pay for an average number of hours we had worked from February and into March. Those who continued to work could opt for service pay, which meant they would receive a $3 an hour increase. Other changes were made related to extending the temporary café closures and modifying our daily operations. In addition, partners (working or not working) would still get a weekly free bag of coffee as well as a daily free item of food. All benefit changes are in effect until at least May 31; everything revolves around on how the pandemic restrictions will evolve across the state.
So, I knew we would all be taken care of. However, these measures cannot replace the family-like relationship we all have. They cannot replace the love, laughter and even the hard times each workday brings for us. Missing out on the fun times and laughter may break our spirits, but it keeps our bond stronger than ever.
With so much change going on in the world right now, I’m happy knowing I can get back to normal when my job is ready to take us back. I’m happy that I can get back to normal and laugh with my friends about funny things. I know I shouldn’t be happy about the bad days that are going to come, but they’re what make me stronger. They’re what make us all stronger as a family and as a team. I know it will be different returning to work again in the future, but I know my work family will make everything better.