Opinion: This is the Biggest Problem With Masks in the Workplace

Boise put it's mask order into effect on July 4. Central District Health made the decision to extend similar policies to all of Ada County ten days later. Here at the station? They've been a requirement since late April. 

At the time, that e-mail crushed me. I was still very much anti-mask. It wasn't because I don't believe in the science behind them. It was primarily because it was so far from our cultural norms in the United States that seeing them in public legitimately scared me. They were one of the primary reasons I avoided actually walking into the grocery store mid-March to mid-June. Grocery shopping looked like a hazmat situation and I just couldn't get used to that idea.

Flash forward to the end of July and they've become common place. I'm far more comfortable with them now. However, getting use to wearing them on a daily basis definitely comes with a learning curve and today I figured out what my biggest problem with them in the workplace is!

It took me a while to realize this was a real issue. That's primarily because for the past month and a half, anytime I consumed something I had to run home and rinse out the holes in my mouth left behind by my wisdom teeth. (During a pandemic, they kind of frown on you spitting in the sink at work.) The tissue has been filling in nicely and this week, I could go back to drinking break room coffee instead making it in the Keurig before leaving the house.

When I went to the break room to fill up my mug this morning, I filled it just a little too much. Walking down the hallway the scalding hot coffee started splashing over the edge with every step I took. It burned my hands.

This has happened for years, but normally I can stop to let the coffee settle and sip enough off the top that it's not a problem after a brief pause in my walk. With my mask on? Yeah, that's not really possible.

You can see how that's a REAL problem in the workplace right? It's THE WORST!

BTW, this article was meant to make you laugh. I hope you did. So many posts about masks draw polarizing comments on social media. The truth is none of us are experts and are just trying our bests right now!