Jamie* was less than a month into their new job at a Waffle House in Florence, South Carolina, when they were called in to work during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. The storm was “devastating,” causing constant power outages, they recall. Nevertheless, Jamie and about 20 other Waffle House employees crammed into their unit, working 12-hour shifts to keep the restaurant open and running on a limited menu as the businesses around them shuttered.

“It was crazy,” said Jamie, who was