Today, my Mighty Crab family and I created a small memorial in loving memory of our coworker and friend, Joshua Bishop. It wasn’t in anyone’s way or taking up space—just a small, comfortable area where we could take a moment to grieve while still doing our best to get through the workday and adjust to the painful reality that Josh isn’t with us anymore.
When the owner, Brandi, came in, she demanded that the memorial be taken down and “hidden” from customers. Mourning is a normal and human part of life, and anyone who knew Josh knew how loved he was. No customer would have been offended by a simple tribute to someone who meant so much to the people who worked beside him every day.
Instead, Brandi and her sister Rebecca told us to “get back to work if we didn’t have enough money to pay for his funeral,” and made it clear that our feelings didn’t matter. In that moment, we stood together for Josh and asked that the memorial be allowed to stay. They refused, and we all chose to walk out.
I’m sharing this because people deserve to know how employees are treated in moments of real loss. Compassion costs nothing. If you believe workers deserve basic respect and humanity, please stand with us.