Bagels with a side of Covid Coughing
This is a video of a woman who has been identified as Lauren Balsamo at New York City Bagel and Coffee House in Queens, NY.
Once she was identified, it was reported that she was employed by Weill Cornell Medicine. That forced them to send out this tweet.
That this woman did the wrong thing is obvious. But there is a lot wrong here. It begins with the fact that wearing a mask isn't optional in New York. As Governor Cuomo has pointed out, his executive order regarding the wearing of a mask makes it unlawful to fail to wear one. It doesn't matter that this woman claims to have Covid-19 antibodies.
Then we have to examine the excuses offered by the business on their Facebook page.
A business that fails to provide proper and adequate supervision in their establishment is failing in its responsibility to protect both its patrons and its employees. I also find it hard to swallow that the ownership of this place has told its employees what to do, given their response to a Yelp review of their business just a few months ago:
Jessica W posted this on March 21, 2020:
Ordered some bagels and a bagel sandwich to go; when we got home to enjoy, we found out they just threw the bagels unwrapped and bare in the bag and forgot the sandwich entirely, even though they charged for it. Tried calling multiple times only to be sent to voicemail. Extremely disappointing.
This was the response from Michael L., business owner:
Dear Jessica:
I hate to have to right this public message but i have no choice this is exactly whats wrong with this generation we are so spoiled. Its amazing that given our situation in this country and around the world you still felt the need to bash the store and its employees that are risking there live to be at work so you can have someplace to get your food. There is a time and place but now.
Imagine. He calls her spoiled because she is bothered by the fact that she paid for food that was omitted from her order. For having the temerity to insist that the bagels she paid for be wrapped rather than just tossed into a bag. To call someone spoiled for asking that a food order be wrapped and complete.
Then there is the overreaction of people on social media. Yes, contact her employer to let them know how their employee is acting. Especially when they are a healthcare business. But people went way beyond that, especially once news broke she is a former employee.
That this woman did this months after leaving Weill Medical says nothing about their hiring practices. It is not the duty of a former employer to reach out to current employers regarding behavior of that former employer not connected to their employment. In fact, it would be a bad HR practice to do that.
Hopefully this young woman will learn from this error. Just as Amy Cooper will learn from her error. As Adam Smith has spent the last 8 years learning from his drive-thru video at Chick-fil-A.
But it is a very expensive lesson. Actions have consequences. No matter where you are, there may be someone with a camera documenting your actions.
How could this woman have thought coughing on someone during a pandemic was acceptable behavior?
Once she was identified, it was reported that she was employed by Weill Cornell Medicine. That forced them to send out this tweet.
Lauren Balsamo has not been an employee of WCM since
Jan. 2020. As an institution on the COVID-19 frontlines, this behavior is
shocking & abhorrent to us. Since WCM's mission is to protect
the health & wellbeing of all NYers, we condemn this flagrant disregard
of public safety.
— Weill Cornell Medicine (@WeillCornell)
June
13, 2020
That this woman did the wrong thing is obvious. But there is a lot wrong here. It begins with the fact that wearing a mask isn't optional in New York. As Governor Cuomo has pointed out, his executive order regarding the wearing of a mask makes it unlawful to fail to wear one. It doesn't matter that this woman claims to have Covid-19 antibodies.
Then we have to examine the excuses offered by the business on their Facebook page.
A business that fails to provide proper and adequate supervision in their establishment is failing in its responsibility to protect both its patrons and its employees. I also find it hard to swallow that the ownership of this place has told its employees what to do, given their response to a Yelp review of their business just a few months ago:
Jessica W posted this on March 21, 2020:
Ordered some bagels and a bagel sandwich to go; when we got home to enjoy, we found out they just threw the bagels unwrapped and bare in the bag and forgot the sandwich entirely, even though they charged for it. Tried calling multiple times only to be sent to voicemail. Extremely disappointing.
This was the response from Michael L., business owner:
Dear Jessica:
I hate to have to right this public message but i have no choice this is exactly whats wrong with this generation we are so spoiled. Its amazing that given our situation in this country and around the world you still felt the need to bash the store and its employees that are risking there live to be at work so you can have someplace to get your food. There is a time and place but now.
Imagine. He calls her spoiled because she is bothered by the fact that she paid for food that was omitted from her order. For having the temerity to insist that the bagels she paid for be wrapped rather than just tossed into a bag. To call someone spoiled for asking that a food order be wrapped and complete.
Then there is the overreaction of people on social media. Yes, contact her employer to let them know how their employee is acting. Especially when they are a healthcare business. But people went way beyond that, especially once news broke she is a former employee.
This of course does not absolve your organization of the
responsibility to do a review of your hiring and training practices to confirm
that no other healthcare employee in your organization thinks this is the right
way to behave.
— Acentro DiTutto
🇺🇸
(@InMedioSitu) June
13, 2020
We know YOU know where she does work-you obviously gave
her a recommendation which must now be rescinded. Please take action by letting
her new employer know this bio-terrorist behavior. Please help those who were
spit upon to contact the authorities. You must stand against
this
— jody delwiche
🆘
(@delwichejody) June
13, 2020That this woman did this months after leaving Weill Medical says nothing about their hiring practices. It is not the duty of a former employer to reach out to current employers regarding behavior of that former employer not connected to their employment. In fact, it would be a bad HR practice to do that.
Hopefully this young woman will learn from this error. Just as Amy Cooper will learn from her error. As Adam Smith has spent the last 8 years learning from his drive-thru video at Chick-fil-A.
But it is a very expensive lesson. Actions have consequences. No matter where you are, there may be someone with a camera documenting your actions.
How could this woman have thought coughing on someone during a pandemic was acceptable behavior?
posted by me at 11:27 PM
