Kientz didn ’ t have any lasting symptoms from COVID-19 , besides being temporarily fatigued , and he was able to return to work . But he struggled to access unemployment benefits while he was out of work .
“ It took me literally hundreds of attempts to get through to the RI Department of Labor and Training to make a claim ,” he says .
He filed the day after his positive diagnosis and received instructions to await a confirmation email with steps to certify for payment within seven to ten business days . Unfortunately , they had an old address on file , which kept his claim status in limbo as pending . He kept calling to correct the problem .
“ I can ’ t tell you how maddening it was to wake up early to try and be the first to call . Dialing over and over and over on days off and before work . To no avail . I finally got through [ in February ] after being put on hold for fifty-five minutes ,” he says . “ I wasn ’ t able to receive unemployment for two months . I can ’ t imagine how bad that would be for a lot of people . Thankfully , I had some safety money set aside .”
Kientz received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in late March and has resumed a full-time schedule between both jobs . But it can still be tough financially , he says . While he makes a generous hourly wage by most restaurant and bar standards , he still depends on tips . With ISCO and Bywater operating on takeout with minimal weather-dependent outdoor dining , he says some guests have a different perception of value in service .
“ Like [ at ISCO ], ‘ Should I still tip this person if I have to walk up and order and sit down and bus my own glass ?’ All of these steps are purely for guest and staff safety ,” Kientz says . “ At some point , there needs to be a reckoning with the systems of the service industry , in general . The whole model feels like it ’ s up for examination .”
The mental health load is not easy to carry for managers , either . Natasha Nichols leads the teams at Chow Fun Food Group ’ s
110 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MAY 2021