“No One Wants to Work”: The Gaslighting of the Working Class
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on many industries, forcing businesses to either lay off employees or place them in the untenable position of customer-facing roles. Countless people switched to remote work, while others abandoned long-held jobs in the service industry. The U.S. government was (mostly) sympathetic, offering stimulus checks for all Americans and extended unemployment benefits for those who’d lost their livelihoods.
Yet as vaccination began to take effect and state governments lifted lockdown measures, something bizarre began to happen. Small businesses, specially those in the food/beverage/hospitality industry, started to reopen, then pulled a shocked Pikachu face when they couldn’t find employees. And so the drum began to pound:
“Thanks to government handouts, no one wants to work.”
This line has appeared on countless whiny signs posted at restaurants, bars, and other service-oriented businesses — often with a plea to “be patient with the workers that did show up.”
Both those who had worked in the service industry throughout the pandemic and those who left for health concerns were immediately angry. For years, they’d endured disproportionate rates of wage theft, high-risk jobs, and underpayment due to the U.S.’s bizarre tipping culture.
